Women’s Basketball falls in season finale at Bluffton, 56-41

BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Defiance College women's basketball team closed out the 2023-24 season Friday night with a 56-41 loss to Bluffton at the Sommer Center. 

The Yellow Jackets finish the year 0-25 overall and 0-18 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. This is the first winless season in school history for the Yellow Jackets and the 25 losses is the most in a season in school history as well. 

Bluffton closes out the regular season 9-16 overall and 7-11 in the HCAC. 

TURNING POINT

To begin the second half, Zadria King hit a jumper to bring the Yellow Jackets within six, 32-26. Following that bucket, Bluffton went on a 5-0 run to reclaim their double digit lead. DC was unable to get any closer than that earlier six point deficit for the rest of the game. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

The two teams combined to miss their first five shots as the game remained scoreless for the first 2:20 of action. Katie Neuhart and Ali Mowen then traded baskets on the next two possessions which gave the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the game. A layup by Zadria King gave DC a 5-4 lead, and then Bluffton answered with the next five to take a 9-5 lead. The Beavers closed the first quarter on a 4-0 mini run to take a 19-7 lead. The Yellow Jackets were cold from the floor in the opening period as they made just 2-of-9 field goal tries.

DC bounced back in a big way in the second quarter and outscored the Beavers by four, 17-13. Bluffton took their biggest lead of the game thus far just 21 seconds into the second quarter and led by 14, 21-7. Zadria King and Addy Allen were catalysts for a 6-0 DC run to bring the Yellow Jackets back within seven and forced a Bluffton timeout with 5:38 remaining in the half. After a three by Olivia Zender gave Bluffton their double digit lead back, Ali Mowen answered right back with a three. The Beavers led by eight at the break and scored 20 of their 32 first half points inside the paint. Bluffton corralled 11 offensive boards in the first half but ended up with only six second chance points which allowed the Yellow Jackets to hang around. 

Both teams struggled offensively in the second half and they combined to make 14 field goals, eight by Bluffton and six by the Yellow Jackets. The game consistently stayed within a margin of 8-12 points throughout the second half. While both offenses were cold, Defiance was unable to cut into the deficit and the Beavers were unable to extend their lead. 

A jump shot by Kaiya Albert brought the Yellow Jackets to within nine, 41-32, with 4:52 remaining in the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets would go scoreless for the remainder of the period although the Beavers only scored five points during that time. Neither team scored during the final 3:44 of the third quarter.

Bluffton took their biggest lead of the game, 16, just 12 seconds into the final quarter. Meanwhile, the scoring drought for DC continued into the fourth quarter and lasted over seven minutes before another bucket by King snapped the scoreless stretch. The bucket by King made it a 14 point game, 48-34. 

The Yellow Jackets did not go down without a fight and found themselves down 11 with 1:19 remaining in the game after a made free throw by Teagan Hunt. Bluffton closed the game on a 6-2 mini run capped off by a steal and layup by Kayla Prigge. 

The teams combined to shoot 13-for-53 in the second half and the Yellow Jackets were held to single digit scoring in three of the four quarters. 

BRINGING THE STING

• Ali Mowen led the way with 11 points and hit all three from downtown for the Yellow Jackets.

• Zadria King added 10 points and led the team in rebounds with seven.

• King recorded the only block for the Yellow Jackets.

• Kaiya Albert grabbed three steals and finished with six points. The three steals ties a season high.

UP NEXT

The Yellow Jackets have finished the NCAA era and will compete in the NAIA in the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference beginning next season.