CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team struggled to put the biscuit in the basket as Mount St. Joseph downed the Beavers 53-48 in the Heartland Conference opener on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. Bluffton slipped to 4-2 overall and 0-1 in league play, while the Lions improved to 3-3 and 1-0 in the HCAC.

Madison Brown (Montpelier/North Central) and Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) hit a pair of early layups, knotting the score at 4-4, but a three-minute dry spell allowed the Lions to take an 11-4 lead midway through the first quarter. Clark sandwiched a pair of buckets around an Alexis Stevely (Marion/Wynford) triple, making it 13-11 MSJ at the 2:51 mark. Two Clark freebies and a Macee Heckathorn (Kenton)  chip shot fooled the fans into thinking it was going to be a shootout as Bluffton trailed 18-15 after one frame.

Senior Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) finally broke the ice for Bluffton over three minutes into the second quarter. Her second basket of the quarter pulled Bluffton within 25-20 four minutes later. Clark cashed in with two more makes at the charity stipe and junior Jessica Moore (Trenton/Edgewood) dialed long distance as Bluffton made it a two-point game (27-25) at the break.

Six Brown counters followed by a Karlie Niekamp (Tipp City/Fort Recovery) deuce kept the Beavers in striking distance (35-33) with 5:49 on the clock in period three. However, MSJ pushed its spread to 43-35 heading to the fourth quarter.

Clark knocked down three foul shots with the final stanza winding down, making it a one-point deficit (47-46) at the 2:45 mark, but the Lions did just enough to win the HCAC opener by a 53-48 count on a frigid Wednesday night.

Brown and Clark led the way with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Clark knocked down 9-of-10 at the line. Fenstermaker ripped down a game-high 12 boards.

Bluffton hit just 16-of-53 (30.2 percent) from the field, including a paltry 2-for-12 (16.7 percent) outside the arc. The Beavers were 14-of-20 (70 percent) at the free throw line. Both teams pulled down 39 rebounds, but the visitors turned it over seven more times (13-6).

The Bluffton women will hit the road for a conference doubleheader at Rose-Hulman on Saturday, Dec. 6. Tip-off from Terre Haute, Ind., is slated for 2 p.m. with the men to follow at 4 p.m.

-BEAVERS-