BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University women's basketball team drilled 13-of-15 shots in the second quarter on the way to a dominating 91-61 victory over Kenyon College on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. The Beavers stay perfect at 3-0 while handing the Owls (2-1) their first loss of the season.
Senior Madison Brown (Montpelier/North Central) and junior Rachel Clark (Lima/Bath) scored five and four points, respectively, in the first quarter as the home team held a slim 16-14 lead heading to period two.
A pair of Brown trifectas sandwiched around a Mackenzea Townsend (Union City/Mississinewa Valley) deuce gave the Beavers a 26-20 spread at the 7:43 mark. Two Brown layins followed by a Clark chip shot pushed the lead to double digits before a flagrant foul on the other end allowed Brown to continue the onslaught at the charity stripe where she cashed in twice. Freshman Karlie Niekamp (Tipp City/Fort Recovery) made the Owls pay for that foul doubly when her jumper gave the good guys a 46-34 lead. The visitors had no answer for Brown as she knocked down two more shots in quarter two on the way to tying her career-high with 23 counters - in the first half!
An old-fashioned three-point play by senior Lacie Fenstermaker (Leipsic/Pandora-Gilboa) and layups from Brown and Clark, who scored seven straight, helped Bluffton open a 63-37 lead midway through the third quarter. Junior Alexis Stevely (Marion/Wynford) got to the rack and Katie Sims (Perrysburg) dialed long distance before a Townsend deuce made it 72-45 with one period to play.
Macee Heckathorn (Kenton) nailed a pair of free throws and fellow freshman Hayley Burke (Mount Vernon) buried a three-ball from sophomore Lillian Wakefield (Wooster/Northwestern) as the Beavers went up 88-51 with four minutes and change on the clock. Charity tosses from Burke and junior Sharon Keefer (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) added up to a 91-61 thumping for the Beavers!
Bluffton hit 32-of-66 from the field (48.5 percent), including 6-for-15 (40 percent) outside the arc. The home team was a blistering 21-of-25 (84 perent) from the line. The Beavers pulled down eight more boards (41-33), while Kenyon coughed it up eight more times (20-12).
Brown led the way with a career-high 27 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the field. Clark followed with 21 points thanks to a red-hot 8-of-11 shooting night. Niekamp and Fenstermaker dropped in nine apiece, while Townsend added eight markers. Brown was just one board shy of a double-double, ripping down a team-high nine caroms. Clark and Brown both dished out four assists. Heckathorn, Brown and Clark all picked off two steals in the Friday night shellacking.
Bluffton will head back to the state up north on Tuesday, Nov. 18, for its third MIAA matchup of the season as the Beavers take on Adrian College at 7 p.m.
-BEAVERS