| Special to: The Bluffton News (Feb. 20), The Witmarsum (Feb. 21), Alumni e-newsletter (Feb. 18), but you read it here first. |
The Bluffton College women’s basketball team faced quite a challenge last week as they took on the top two teams, Transylvania University and Franklin College, in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Beavers hung close with both teams in the first half but were unable to capitalize on their strong effort and dropped both contests. The two losses give BC a current record of 2-20 overall and 1-12 in the HCAC.
Bluffton will look to rebound this week as they finish out the regular season. The Beavers will host HCAC-rival Defiance College on Wed. at 7 p.m. in Founders Hall before traveling to Thomas More on Sat. to face the Saints at 2 p.m. The first round of the HCAC tournament will take place on Feb. 25.
BC continues to hold its top spot in 3-pt. field goal defense, leading the HCAC with a .285 percentage. Senior Lyndsey Robinson ranks third in the conference in offensive rebounds with 2.9 per game and sixth in total rebounds with 7.1 per game, while senior Melissa James ranks fifth in the HCAC in defensive rebounds with 5.1 per game and seventh in total rebounds with 6.7 per game. Senior Kristin Siller ranks fifth in the conference in free throw percentage with a .816 percentage. Both James (11.3 ppg) and Robinson (10.5 ppg) lead Bluffton in scoring and rebounding, while junior Karen Harris (7.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg) leads the team in assists (43) and steals (39).
Feb.12: BC 48, Franklin 81
Bluffton trailed by just two points at halftime, 28-26, but Franklin out-scored the Beavers 53-22 in the second half to claim an 81-48 win in Founders Hall Wed. night.
Sophomore Cara Young finished the game with 10 points, as did James, who grabbed nine rebounds to narrowly miss what would have been her third career double-double.
Franklin, which ranks among the HCAC’s top defensive clubs, held BC to a season-low 13 made field goals and forced the Beavers into 33 turnovers. However, Bluffton was an impressive 19-for-27 (70.4%) from the free throw line and out-rebounded Franklin 40-36.
BC freshman Mandy Wightman was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line and finished with eight points, while freshman Karen Schaller chipped in six.
Feb.15: BC 49, Transylvania 83
Bluffton lost to HCAC-leading Transylvania 83-49 Sat. afternoon in Lexington, Ky. The Beavers held a 14-13 lead with 9:37 left in the first half but were unable to maintain it despite shooting nearly six percent better than the Pioneers in the first half.
Bluffton shot 36.7% from the floor and 66.7% from the free throw line against Transylvania, who attempted 33 three-pointers in the game to mark the most attempts from 3-point range that BC has seen yet this season.
Robinson led Bluffton with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 shooting from the free throw line. Robinson also pulled down 11 rebounds to collect the 11th double-double of her career. Bluffton leading scorer James was held to six points in the game but was the next-highest scorer.
