Oberlin, Ohio - The Oberlin College women's basketball team dropped its second straight game as the visiting Bluffton University Beavers left town with a 73-65 victory over the Yeowomen.
The backcourt duo of Alyson Jefferson and Gina Lombard led the Oberlin offense, combining for 35 points. Jefferson was an efficient 7-of-10 shooting to end with 15 points to go along with seven steals on the defensive end. Lombard finished with a season-high 20 points as she cashed in five 3-pointers in 36 minutes of work. Camille Zinaich was a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor, adding 11 points and four boards.
Oberlin raced out to an 11-2 lead over the first three minutes of the game but the Beavers methodically worked their way back into the game as Oberlin settled for just a 17-14 lead after 10 minutes of play.
It was nip-and-tuck throughout the second quarter as the Beavers briefly went out in front until a Lombard triple-hit put Oberlin back out in front, 24-23, with 3:56 left in the half. An old-school 3-point play by Ziniach later gave Oberlin a 27-25 lead and the Yeowomen would ultimately carry a slim 29-28 cushion into the intermission.
A Maddie Fitzpatrick 3-pointer gave Bluffton a 45-41 advantage with just over four minutes left in the third quarter but Oberlin trailed by just two heading into the final frame as an offensive rebound by Zinaich led to a Jefferson layup just before the horn to make it a 51-49 Beavers' lead heading into the final frame.
The Bluffton lead would swell to seven, 57-50, on a Morgan Smith jumper with 6:21 left in the game. A Lily Najmulski triple with 4:21 still to expire had Oberlin within four, 57-53, but the Yeowomen would get no closer the rest of the way as Bluffton moved to 5-1 on the year with the win.
The Yeowomen hoisted 31 3-pointers in the contest - making just nine, which certainly allowed the Beavers to grab control of the game. Overall, Oberlin shot just 38.1 percent (24-of-63), while the Beavers posted an impressive 49.1 percent (26-of-53 ) success rate in the win. Bluffton also finished with a large 49-23 advantage on the glass.
Oberlin, which fell back to 5-4, will now have a long layoff for the holidays before returning to action on December 30 at the Comfort Inn Classic where they will take on Juniata College at 6 p.m.
During tomorrow's men's game, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee will be hosting their Holiday Hoops Pledge Game to raise money for St. Jude's Research Hospital in their fight against childhood cancer. To learn more about how you can participate, both in-person and remote, check out goyeo.com/HolidayHoops. Tipoff is set for 7pm with a live stream available here and live stats here.During the Tuesday game, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee will be hosting their Holiday Hoops Pledge Game to raise money for St. Jude's Research Hospital in their fight against childhood cancer. To learn more about how you can participate, both in-person and remote, check out goyeo.com/HolidayHoops. Tipoff is set for 7pm with a live stream available here and live stats here.
