January 21, 2017

Stats

FRANKLIN, Ind. - The Bluffton University women's basketball team outscored host Franklin College 40-30 in the second half for a come-from-behind 64-55 win on Saturday, Jan. 21. Franklin fell to 7-9 overall and 5-5 in the Heartland Conference, while Bluffton improved to 14-3 and 8-2 in the HCAC. It marked just the second time (2015-16) in school history that the women have won at the Spurlock Center, but it was the fourth consecutive Bluffton victory over the Grizzlies!

Bluffton trailed throughout much of the first half, but the Grizzlies took only a one-point advantage (25-24) into the break. Just 10 seconds into the third quarter, Macey Sheerer (Bucyrus) got to the rack, putting Bluffton up and changing the face of the game. Sheerer, Rachel Beining (Ottoville) and Kaycee Rowe (Harrod/Allen East) combined for Bluffton's first 14 points of the second half as the Beavers led by as many as seven in the quarter.

LJ Olverson (Cincinnati/Princeton) hit a fastbreak layup, igniting a 7-2 Bluffton spurt to cap the quarter as Sheerer dialed long distance and Beining converted from in close. TJ Mills (Dayton/Chaminade-Julienne) and Olverson combined for six straight points before nine Bluffton free throws down the stretch helped seal the 64-55 victory for the visitors.

Sheerer paced the Beavers with 19 points on 5-of-8 from the field and 7-of-11 at the line. She was just one rebound shy of a double-double. Beining chipped in with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Rowe stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, eight rebounds and five dimes. LJ Olverson finished the afternoon with eight counters and five rebounds.

Bluffton went 22-of-47 (46.8 percent) from the field and the Beavers limited Franklin to 22-of-66 for just 33.3 percent. The Beavers struggled at the line for the second straight game, but they made up for it in volume (17-of-31 for 54.8 percent). The visitors pulled down five more rebounds (42-37) but they also turned it over eight more times (17-9).

The Beavers travel to Mount St. Joseph on Wednesday, Jan. 25 for a meeting with the Lions. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. in Cincinnati.

-BEAVERS-