BLUFFTON, OHIO -- Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology rallied from a 14-point second half to
close within four points in the final three minutes, but Bluffton
University held on to earn a 58-51 women's basketball win on
Saturday.
Senior Donna Marsh (Mobile, Ala./Baker) led the Rose-Hulman offense with her 32nd career double-double. Marsh scored 14 points with 13 rebounds for the Engineers.
Freshman Heather Finnell (Decatur, Tenn./Cleveland) (pictured) contributed four three-point field goals for 12 points. Freshman Kelsey Ploof (Noblesville) pitched in with nine points.
Sophomore Lauren Meadows (Indianapolis/Brebeuf) scored eight points, and junior Alisa Dickerson (Elizabethtown, Ky.) pitched in with six points, six rebounds and a career-high tying eight assists.
Brittany Stegmaier paced Bluffton with 20 points. Lauren Hutton contributed 12 points, and Brittany Lewis scored 10 for the Beavers.
Stegmaier buried a three-pointer at the 13:07 mark to put Bluffton ahead 38-24, but a score from senior Nicole Klass (Evansville/North) and a three-pointer from Finnell brought the Engineers within 38-29.
Bluffton pushed its lead to 47-36, before six straight points from Rose-Hulman brought the margin within 47-42 on a layup by Meadows at the 4:55 mark. A three-pointer from Meadows and a layup by Marsh would make the margin 53-49 with 3:11 left.
Bluffton held the Engineers to just two points in the last four minutes and hit several free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
Bluffton improved to 5-8 and 2-4 in league play, while Rose-Hulman dropped to 4-9 and 2-4 in conference games. The Fightin' Engineers host Anderson University on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.