December 16, 2017
FRANKLIN, Ind. - The Bluffton University women's basketball team continued its impressive start with a 68-50 victory at Franklin College on Saturday, Dec. 16. The Beavers improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the Heartland Conference with all three of those HCAC wins on the road. Franklin fell to 2-4 and 2-2 in the conference.
Bluffton held a slim 36-34 lead with just over five minutes to play in the third quarter before a 16-0 jag put the game on ice. Consecutive jumpers by Kaycee Rowe (Harrod/Allen East) sandwiched around a block by the sensational senior sparked the Beaver onslaught. Macey Sheerer (Bucyrus) chipped in with a pair of deuces while fellow senior Abigail O'Donnell (Arcanum) closed it out with a three-point bomb!
The visitors hit 5-of-6 shots early in the fourth quarter, pushing the spread to 62-44 with just over six minutes to play. Rowe knocked down both of her shots during that stretch. A steal and bucket by sophomore Breanna Graham (Springboro) made it a 20-point game at the 4:25 mark. Kylie Brock'S (Villas Hills, Ky./Dixie Heights) layin capped off the scoring for Bluffton as the Beavers salted away their 68-50 victory over the Grizzlies.
Macey Sheerer led all scorers with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting. She also pulled down seven boards and dished out three assists. Rowe added 14 points, while O'Donnell chipped in with 10 points and a team-best eight caroms. TJ Mills (Dayton/Chaminade-Julienne) doled out four assists, while freshman Nora Hemminger (McComb) handed out three dimes.
Bluffton hit 25-of-61 (41.0 percent), including 5-for-13 (38.5 percent) from outside the arc. The Grizzlies struggled to a 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) afternoon on triples and they hit just 5-of-11 (45.5 percent) at the charity stripe. The Beavers pulled down one more rebound (38-37), while forcing five more miscues (21-16) by the home team.
The women finish off their four-game road swing on Tuesday, Dec. 19, when they travel to John Carroll for Bluffton's third Ohio Athletic Conference opponent of the year. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m. at University Heights.
-BEAVERS-
