weekly recap 1-12

Bluffton falls to Manchester and Hanover to start HCAC season

                  

Sports Information Staff Report

January 12, 2004

 

   The Bluffton College women’s basketball team entered Heartland Conference league play on the road last week losing to Manchester 69-64 and falling to Hanover 83-42. Bluffton is now 1-12 on the year and 0-2 in the HCAC. Bluffton will travel to Franklin this Wednesday for HCAC league action, tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

Bluffton 64, Manchester 69

   The Bluffton College women’s basketball team (1-11, 0-1 HCAC) lost their conference opener to Manchester (4-8, 1-0 HCAC) 69-64 on Wednesday night.

   Bluffton came out strong on Wednesday as they led by as many as 10 points in the first half until the 3:37 mark when Manchester capitalized on missed shots by the Beavers. The score at halftime was 30-22 in favor of Manchester. The Spartans came out of halftime to lead for the rest of the contest, despite being outscored 42-39 in the second period. With 58 seconds left in the regulation Bluffton found themselves down 60-58. The Beavers then fouled Manchester to stop the clock with 47 seconds left and lost by the final score of 69-64 as the Spartans capitalized at the free throw line. Tanya Rickenberg threw in two three pointers in the last 13 seconds to post Bluffton’s final point total of 64.

   Leading Bluffton was freshman Tanya Rickenberg (Defiance/Paulding) with a career high 29 points and 10 rebounds (career high) for her first double-double. Senior Lindsay Bacon (Troy/Troy) was the only other Beaver in double figures with 22 points. Bacon also shot a career high five three-pointers for the contest.

Bluffton 42, Hanover 83

   The Bluffton College women’s basketball team (1-12, 0-2 HCAC) were defeated by the Hanover College Panthers (6-6, 1-1 HCAC) 83-42 on Saturday afternoon.

   Things were difficult for the Beavers from the start as they shot only 24 percent in the first half, committing 18 turnovers. The score at halftime was 48-17 in favor of the Panthers. In the second period Bluffton would hit free throws, but only connected with one bucket in the first ten minutes of the half. The Beavers tried to battle back but just could not overcome the point deficit.

   Freshman Tanya Rickenberg (Defiance/Paulding) led the Beavers with 14 points. Sophomore Karin Schaller (Jenera/Arlington) posted eight points for the contest and led the team with eight rebounds. Schaller did have nine blocks for the game which ties her own Bluffton single game block record.

   As a team, Bluffton currently ranks first in the Heartland Conference with 85 blocks on the year. Bluffton also currently ranks 2nd in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to a .373 mark.

   Freshman Tanya Rickenberg currently leads the Beavers in scoring and ranks 6th in scoring with 14.1 points per game. Rickenberg also ranks 11th in rebounding in the HCAC with 5.7 rebounds per game and 3rd in assists with 4.08 per game. Sophomore Karin Schaller posts four top five statistical positions in the HCAC. She ranks 1st in blocks (74), 1st in defensive rebounding (7.08), 2nd in rebounds per game (10.5) and 4th in offensive rebounding (3.38). Schaller also adds 10.5 points per game, good enough for 16th in the HCAC. Senior Lindsay Bacon ranks 2nd on Bluffton’s squad in scoring and 9th in the HCAC with 11.8 points per game. Bacon also leads Bluffton and ranks 5th in the HCAC with 1.67 3-pointers per game.