TERRE HAUTE, IND. -- The Rose-Hulman women’s basketball team dropped to second place in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball standings with a 57-45 loss to Bluffton University on Saturday afternoon.

Freshman Donna Marsh (Mobile, Ala./Baker) led the Engineers with her second double-double of the season.  Marsh tallied 11 points and added 10 rebounds and two blocked shots for Rose-Hulman.

Sophomore Bethany Brisco (Alexandria) added seven points with a pair of assists off the bench. 

Junior Liz Ridgway (Grosse Pointe, Mich./Northwestern U.) and sophomore Shayna Banet (Canton, Ga./Woodstock) each tallied six points, while freshman Caroline Andersen (North Manchester/ Manchester) had four points and four boards.

Bluffton's balanced scoring attack featured Angie Lee with 13 points, Vicki Auer with 11 and Ginny Buckingham with 10 points and seven steals.

The Engineers shot 35% from the field but held Bluffton to 21% from the floor in the first half to earn a 25-18 halftime advantage.  The score was tied at 18-18, before two free throws and a layup by Andersen, two free throws by Marsh and a free throw by Theresa Henke (Alexandria, Ky./Bishop Brossart) gave Rose-Hulman the seven-point edge.

In the second half, Bluffton relied on a strong charge to gain a 44-32 lead with 5:29 left in the contest.  The Engineers rallied to within three points at 44-41 on five points from Marsh and two free throws by senior Jill Floyd (Bloomington, Ill./Olympia), before Brisco hit a key jumper with 3:20 left.

Bluffton responded with a 9-2 run to put the game out of reach and secure its fourth victory of the season.  Rose-Hulman dropped to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in HCAC play and will return to action at Robert Morris-Springfield on Thursday.