BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team never found its touch in a 53-46 loss to Mount St. Joseph on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. Bluffton fell to 8-9 overall and 4-6 in the Heartland Conference, while MSJ improved to 8-9 and 5-5 in the HCAC.
Four points from sophomore Mackenzea Townsend (Union City/Mississinawa Valley) knotted the score at 4-4 less than two minutes into the contest. A Madison Brown (Montpelier/North Central) tip-in and free throw put Bluffton up 9-8 before freshman Karlie Niekamp (Tipp City/Fort Recovery) hit a jumper with five ticks on the clock for an 11-8 edge after one quarter.
Niekamp's bucket early in the second made it 13-10. Junior Jessica Moore (Trenton/Edgewood) dialed long distance at the 6:34 mark, knotting it up at 16-16. Townsend followed with a jumper, giving Bluffton an 18-16 lead less than a minute later, but MSJ finished the quarter with a 9-6 spurt for a 25-24 lead at the break.
Brown and fellow senior Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) both tallied three counters in the third period, but a 16-10 splurge by the visitors made the score 41-34 going to the final stanza.
Freshman Macee Heckathorn (Kenton) went to work in period four, scoring a pair of quick buckets, and Moore's jumper with 6:47 on the clock had the Beavers within a single point at 41-40. It would be over three minutes before the home team graced the scoreboard again when Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) trimmed the deficit to 45-42, but MSJ pulled away for the 53-46 victory and season sweep despite two late buckets from Niekamp.
Niekamp hit 5-of-10 from the field for a team-high 10 points. Townsend, who ripped down a career-best 10 boards, added eight markers, while Fenstermaker chipped in with nine counters. She also finished with seven rebounds. Brown and Heckathorn added six rebounds apiece. Moore dished out three assists and picked up a pair of steals.
Bluffton hits just 19-of-58 from the field (32.8 percent) including a paltry 1-for-9 (11.1 percent) outside the arc. The Beavers made 7-of-10 (70 percent) at the line. MSJ pulled down seven more rebounds and the teams combined for just 14 turnovers, eight for the Beavers.
The Bluffton women are back in the Sommer Center for game one of a doubleheader with Hanover College on Saturday, Jan. 24. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.
-BEAVERS-