By: Ryan Schadewald, sports information assistant

Stats http://www.bluffton.edu/athletics/womensbasketball/2014/11-26-wb.htm

WOOSTER, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team fell victim to an early first half run and came up short at the College of Wooster, 86-68, on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013. The Fighting Scots opened the game scoring 24 of the first 34 points and never trailed throughout the contest. The loss knocked the Beavers back to the .500 mark at 2-2, while Wooster stayed undefeated with a record of 5-0.

Bluffton had four scorers in double figures, led by forward Brooke Ruffer (Stryker), who scored 16 points and grabbed eight boards in just 18 minutes of action before fouling out. Fellow sophomore Kaitlyn Pennekamp (Hamilton/Ross) chipped in 15 points thanks to 3-of-10 shooting on triples. Freshman phenom Rachel Beining (Ottoville) had her fourth straight double-digit point total to start the season with 14 counters, as well as eight rebounds. Sophomore Taylor Whitaker (Mansfield/Lexington) put up 10 points for the Beavers.

The home team came out hot from the start, getting out to that quick 24-10 lead in the first nine minutes of the game and never looking back. A Whitaker deep ball trimmed the Wooster down to single digits before another Fighting Scot run pushed the lead back to 14. A Pennekamp layin would again make it a nine-point game before a 13-2 run gave Wooster a 45-26 lead at the 2:00 mark of the first half. Taylor Whitaker countered with five points to lead Bluffton on a 7-2 run to end the first half (47-33).

The second period never really provided much of an opportunity for the visitors to get themselves back into the game. After the Scots went up by 18 points early in the second half, the Beavers were able to make one final run at Wooster by going on a 10-0 spurt, which began with a Ruffer bucket and freebie, as well as a big three from Pennekamp and a couple more foul shots from Beining that cut the deficit to 56-48 at the 12:56 mark.

However, Wooster put the game away over the next eight minutes as they scored 20 of the next 29 points, streaking to a 76-57 lead with under five minutes to play while sealing the Beavers fate in the process.

Wooster was led by Lauren Hancher who scored 24 points for the victors on 9-of-13 shooting from the field. Karley Walker also chipped in 19 points, including 11-of-15 at the stripe.

The Beavers will finally return to the comfy confines of the Sommer Center for their first home game of the 2013-14 campaign as they take on the Heidelberg University Student Princes on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 3 p.m. Bluffton will then open HCAC play when they hit the road to take on the Earlham College Quakers on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m.