BLUFFTON, OHIO – Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology forced overtime with a three-pointer in the final seconds, then relied on a team effort in the extra session to top Bluffton University 61-58 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s basketball action on Saturday.

 

With Rose-Hulman trailing 53-50 in the waning seconds, sophomore Julie Hart (La Porte) buried a three-pointer with 8.3 seconds remaining to tie the score at 53-53.  Bluffton senior Angie Lee was fouled on the final possession with 2.1 seconds left and missed the front end of a one-and-one to force the overtime period.

 

In the extra session, Rose-Hulman jumped out to a 57-53 advantage on a pair of baskets by junior Liz Ridgway (Grosse Pointe, Mich./Northwestern U.).  Lindsay Bush responded with four consecutive free throws to tie the score at 57-57 with 1:57 left.

 

Bluffton gained the lead at 58-57 on a free throw by Lee with 1:19 left.  The Beavers grabbed a rebound on a missed three-pointer by Hart, but Rose-Hulman earned a defensive stop on the next possession with freshman Donna Marsh (Mobile, Ala./Baker) recorded a blocked shot on a Lee jumper.

 

Marsh gave Rose-Hulman the lead at 59-58 with a score in the lane on the next possession with 11 seconds left.  Bluffton immediately sprinted down the court on the next trip, with Kim Miller drawing a foul with 3.9 seconds left. 

 

Miller missed both free throws, however, and Ridgway snagged the rebound.  She was fouled with 0.1 seconds left and buried both free throws to secure the final margin of victory.

 

Marsh led Rose-Hulman’s offensive attack with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Ridgway recorded 16 points and a career-high 13 rebounds for the Engineers.  Floyd poured in nine points with five assists to provide depth to the offensive effort.  Vicki Auer paced Bluffton with 19 points, while Miller scored 11 with four steals to lead Bluffton.

 

The Engineers overcame an 11-point deficit in the second half to force the extra session.  Rose-Hulman trailed 46-35 with 6:42 remaining and still had to overcome a 48-39 deficit in the final 4:36. 

 

A layup by Marsh and a jumper in the lane by Floyd keyed the run that made the score 51-47 with 2:19 left.  Another layup by Floyd helped set the stage for the final play.

 

Rose-Hulman improved to 8-10 overall and 4-5 in HCAC play with the victory, while Bluffton dropped to 7-11 and 1-8 in conference games.  The Engineers travel to Franklin College in another league matchup on Wednesday night.