BLUFFTON, Ohio – Earlham College women's basketball was unable to stifle Bluffton University's comeback bid in a 70-65 loss to the Beavers, Wednesday evening at the Sommer Center.

THE BASICS

Final Score: Bluffton 70, Earlham 65
Location: Bluffton, Ohio – Sommer Center
Records: Earlham 4-10, 3-4 HCAC / Bluffton 9-5, 3-4 HCAC

THE SHORT STORY

Earlham led Bluffton, 51-44, heading into the fourth quarter, but the Beavers scored seven-straight points to open the final frame and knotted the game at 51-51 with 7:29 remaining on a Brianna Gillig foul shot.

Following a layup from Earlham first-year Trinity McClendon and two more free throws from Gillig, the Quakers regained a 55-53 lead on a pair of foul shots from senior Amy Weisner. However, Bluffton answered with a 3-pointer by TJ Mills, giving the Beavers a lead.

The Quakers tied things two more times, the final time coming at the 3:11 mark on a senior Camryn White layup before the Beavers took the lead for good on foul shots. Bluffton went 9-for-10 at the charity stripe over the final three minutes of play, while Earlham went 2-of-7 from the floor over the same span in its bid to catch the Beavers.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

McClendon shot the proverbial lights out to lead Earlham with a career-high 21 points, with a 7-of-10 mark from the field – including a 3-of-3 effort from 3-point range – with a 4-for-4 ledger at the free-throw line.

Junior Kayla Bowling was the only other Quaker in double figures with 10 points and completed her stat line with four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Three players – White, Weisner, and senior Zoe Curtis – each tallied six points.

Junior Acacia Tenette paced the Quakers on the glass with nine rebounds to go with her three assists.

Earlham and Bluffton shot an identical 38.5 percent from the floor. The Beavers leveraged 30 Quaker fouls into a 26-for-40 mark at the free-throw line; Earlham shot a perfect 10-for-10 at the charity stripe on 15 Bluffton fouls.

WHAT'S NEXT

Earlham women's basketball returns to the court on Saturday, Jan. 18, when the Quakers head to Hanover College for the first game of an HCAC doubleheader. Tip-off for the women's game is slated for approximately 4:00 p.m., after the conclusion of the men's game between the Quakers and the Panthers.