The Bluffton University women's basketball team played host to the Anderson University Ravens in a Heartland Conference clash on Saturday, Jan. 18. After going up 7-2 early in the contest, Bluffton struggled to find the net the rest of the way, resulting in a 60-47 loss for the home team. Bluffton fell to 9-6 overall and 3-5 in the Heartland Conference, while Anderson improved to 6-9 and 2-6 in the HCAC.
Brianna Gillig (New Riegel) would get in the scoring column first for the Beavers when she nailed a three-ball to make the score 3-2 with 7:37 left in the first quarter. A minute later the home team would take their largest lead of the game when Emma Saltzman (Arcadia) dropped a deuce to make it 7-2 with 6:09 to go in the first. It would be all Ravens from that point as the visitors took a 29-21 lead into the break. Anderson outscored the Beavers 31-26 over the final two quarters en route to a convincing 60-47 AU victory.
Gillig led the way for the Beavers with 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting, including 1-of-4 from three-point land. The only other Beaver in double-figures was Tj Mills (Dayton/Chaminade-Julienne) who dropped in 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting. She had four takeaways for the home team, giving her 194 career steals which tied her with Kaycee Rowe at 194 (2nd) all-time. Mills needs just three to eclipse all-time leader Lisa Wieging who collected 196 career steals!
Bluffton struggled mightily from the field, shooting 19-of-60 (31.7 percent), including a paltry 3-of-22 (13.6 percent) from behind the arc. Anderson on the other hand went 24-of-45 (53.3 percent) from the field and 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) from distance. The Ravens turned the ball over 14 times compared to just six for the home team.
Bluffton will be back in action on Wednesday, Jan. 22, when they travel to North Manchester, IN, to take on the Spartans in a mid-week HCAC clash. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
