Lexington, Ky. – The Transylvania women's basketball team erupted for its highest scoring output of the season on Saturday afternoon, winning 83-61 over the Bluffton University Beavers at the Beck Center.
One week after holding Adrian to the lowest scoring total by any Pioneer opponent in the Juli Fulks era, the Pioneers won with offensive propulsion, led by Madison Kellione's season-high 17 points on 5 for 6 shooting from the field.
Transylvania won the nonconference matchup with Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference counterpart Bluffton to move to 2-2 overall on the season, handing the Beavers their first loss of the season as Bluffton fell to 6-1 overall.
The Pioneers opened with a tone-setting sequence, scoring the first five points of the day. Bluffton answered with a three-pointer before the Pioneers went on a 14-0 run to set up the wire-to-wire victory.
Transylvania shot 75 percent from the floor in the first quarter while holding Bluffton to a 3 for 15 mark from the floor in the opening 10 minutes.
Bluffton found its rhythm in the second quarter, starting the period off on an 11-0 run to slice the Transy lead to eight points with seven minutes left in the first half. Grace Shope doused the Beaver run with a right-wing triple.
Novi Walker sank a straightaway three-pointer to stretch the Pioneer lead back to nine points at 32-23 with five minutes left in the second quarter. The Pioneers regained momentum by digging in their heels for key defensive stops down the stretch, translating to a 45-30 halftime lead.
Transylvania brought forth a balanced and potent scoring attack as four players had eight points or more in the first half, dominating the interior on both ends.
Bluffton dug away at the Pioneers' lead gradually in the third but Calynn Jackson buried a timely three-pointer to lengthen Transy's lead back to 16 at 54-38 with 3:15 to go in the third.
Kellione scored five straight points to push the lead to 59-40 with 2:30 to go in the third and the Pioneers carried a 20-point advantage into the fourth quarter.
Bluffton replicated its second quarter opening burst in the fourth quarter with the first seven points of the frame before Brooke Nottingham quelled the run with two free throws at the 8:00 mark of the fourth. Transylvania would go on to outscore Bluffton 21-19 in the final quarter, holding the Beavers to just 28 percent shooting from the field.
Shope provided an all-around performance with 11 points, a game-high eight rebounds, three assists, one block, one steal, and shot 5 for 6 from the floor. Jackson finished with 12 points, and Elizabeth Hardiman scored 10 points to go with three rebounds and three assists.
The Pioneers are scheduled to next play on Tuesday, December 15 in Morehead, Kentucky as they take on Division I Morehead State University. Tip-off on Tuesday is set for 7:00 p.m. from Johnson Arena.
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