Trailing by 13 points with 7:31 remaining, the John Carroll women's basketball team staged a furious rally to tie the contest in the final minute, only to end up on the short end of a 67-63 decision against Bluffton in the opening round of the Buffalo State Betty Abgott Invitational Friday afternoon in Buffalo, New York.

Bluffton had built its largest lead of the game when Kaycee Rowe stuck in a lay-up with 7:31 left tom play in regulation. It was still a 60-48 lead for Bluffton entering the final six minutes when the Blue Streaks began to chip away. 

Shmoo Pryor, who had up to that juncture struugled mightily by missing her first seven shots, came to life with five consecutive points to trim the deficit to 60-53. Steals by Katlyn Spahar and Katie Battaglia led to Spahar points at the other end, and when Spahar darined a jumper and completed a three-point play with a free throw with 3:33 to play, the Blue Streaks were down by one, 60-59.

Bluffton ended the 11-0 run when Rachel Beining converted a lay-up, but Kelsey Poplawski answered at the other end with a lay-up of her own to reduce the margin to one point again, 62-61.

Beining split a free throw opportunity with 55 seconds, after which Spahar tied the game with 33 ticks left.

Tied at 63-63, Bluffton -- an 18-win team with four starters back from last season -- showed poise down the stretch. Macey Sheerer canned a jumper with 21 seconds left, and following a Spahar three-point miss for the lead, Taylor Whitaker knocked down two free throws with five seconds showing on the clock for the final margin.

John Carroll began the game ina  funk, and tariled 13-6 early on. But a 14-4 run to close the quarter gave the Blue Streaks a 20-17 lead after the first period. JCU still lead 32-31 at the half, but a 2-14 shooting effort by the Blue Streaks in the third period did considerable damage. Bluffton led 51-44 after three quarters, and pushed the lead to 13 points with a 6-0 run to start the fourth before the Blue Streaks rallied.

Spahar led all scorers with 22 points for John Carroll (1-1). Poplawski added 12 points and Pryor chipped in 11 as JCU struggled with an 8-25 shooting performance in the second half (.258 for the half, .339 for the game). Sarah Cairnie added a game-high 11 rebounds as the Blue Streaks held a 39-36 advantage on the boards.

Bluffton (1-0) won its opening game thanks to 18 points from Whitaker and 14 points and ten rebounds from Rowe. 

This defeat is the first by a John Carroll team to a non-conference opponents during the regular season since Kelly Morrone became the Blue Streaks' head coach. JCU was 14-0 in non-conference regular season games prior to today under Morrone.

JCU will play in the consolation game tomorrow at 11:00 am against either Thiel or Bufalo State.