ATHENS, Tenn. – Bluefield University women's basketball stayed within striking distance through three quarters, but Tennessee Wesleyan used a strong finish to pull away late as the Rams fell 55–45 Monday evening at James L. Robb Gymnasium.
The Bulldogs opened the game with early perimeter shooting, but Bluefield settled in defensively midway through the first quarter. Zoey Snavely put the Rams on the board with a layup at the five-minute mark, and Anna Smith followed with a jumper in the lane to cut the deficit to six. Elle Gunter added a late finish inside, but Tennessee Wesleyan carried a 17–9 lead into the second.
BU continued to chip away in the second quarter. Gabriela Rosado scored on a strong move in the paint off a Gunter assist, and J'Maia Joseph added a pull-up jumper to keep the Rams within single digits. Ashanti Northcross attacked the rim late in the half, and Smith converted inside in the final two minutes as Bluefield closed the quarter trailing just 27–21 at halftime.
The Rams matched Tennessee Wesleyan basket for basket coming out of the break. Chloe Shields knocked down a three early in the third quarter, and Smith continued to be active on the glass, scoring twice on second-chance opportunities. Joseph added a three-point play to trim the margin to three, but Tennessee Wesleyan answered with timely baskets to hold a 35–33 edge heading into the fourth.
Bluefield made one final push in the opening minutes of the fourth. Smith scored inside to pull the Rams within two, and Joseph followed with a layup to make it a one-possession game. Tennessee Wesleyan responded at the free-throw line and on the offensive glass, extending the lead in the final four minutes. Smith added a late jumper and Joseph knocked down a three, but the Bulldogs closed the game at the stripe to secure the win.
Smith led BU with a career-best 17 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, posting her second double-double of the season. Joseph added 10 points off the bench, while Shields contributed six points on two made threes. Gunter finished with four points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, and Northcross chipped in two points and steady defensive pressure.
Bluefield returns home Wednesday to host Milligan at 5:30 p.m. inside The Dome.
