BLUFFTON — The Bluffton women’s defense was in top form on Wednesday night, shutting down Defiance’s scorers and defeating the Yellow Jackets 62-47.
Defiance shot just 26 percent from the field in the game.
The game was a low scoring battle from the beginning, as neither team was able to put together an offensive rally until the closing minutes of the first half. That’s when Bluffton’s Taylor Whitaker and Brooke Ruffer began to shine from behind the arc, hitting three 3-pointers in the final two minutes, and Defiance’s shooters weren’t able to answer.
The momentum of that late surge by the Beavers, which gave them a 29-19 halftime lead, carried over into the second half. Five minutes in, Bluffton began an 11-0 run that pushed its lead to 45-28. After that, the Beavers’ defense never allowed Defiance to cut the deficit to less than nine points.
“We have to play tough, and with a lot of energy,” Bluffton coach Chad Shutler said. “There were a lot of little things we did that I thought gave us confidence tonight. There was a great environment tonight, and I’m thrilled for our kids to get this win.”
It was senior night at the Sommer Center, and Bluffton’s lone senior Lauren Hutton scored four points while pulling in a game-high nine rebounds.
It was two freshmen, however, leading the way in scoring, as Ruffer finished with 17 points and Taylor Knight finished with 11 points. Hannah Harshman led Defiance with 14 points.
Bluffton’s record is 12-12 overall, and 7-10 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
