Beavers Drop Tight Contest at Greenville

GREENVILLE, IL — The Blackburn women's basketball team battled throughout a tightly contested conference matchup, showing resilience and defensive pressure in a one-point loss to Greenville, 71–70.

The Beavers were led by junior India Harris, who finished with 20 points, four rebounds, and three steals. Juniors Kenadee Frey and Eiz Allende Quinones also reached double figures, with Frey scoring 12 points and Allende Quinones adding 10 points. Senior Zoe Mitchell led the team on the boards with seven rebounds.

Blackburn got off to a strong start in the second quarter, using active defense and transition offense to take control early. Allende Quinones sparked the Beavers with multiple steals and finishes at the rim, helping turn defense into quick points. Blackburn built momentum behind strong rebounding and ball movement, highlighted by consecutive three-pointers from freshman Elexus Frey to push the lead to 26–21 midway through the quarter.

Blackburn continued to respond to Greenville runs, leaning on offensive rebounds and perimeter shooting to stay in front. Kenadee Frey knocked down a three late in the half, while Harris and junior Cheresse Mitchell contributed key rebounds and defensive stops. Despite the Beavers' effort, Greenville closed the half on a late run to take a 38–31 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, Blackburn stayed aggressive, cutting into the deficit behind continued perimeter shooting and hustle plays. Elexus Frey added another three, and Allende Quinones finished through contact to keep the Beavers within striking distance. Harris chipped in at the free-throw line, and Blackburn's defense forced multiple turnovers to prevent Greenville from pulling away.

The fourth quarter featured Blackburn's strongest push. Harris led the charge, scoring in the paint, converting free throws, and grabbing defensive rebounds as the Beavers trimmed the gap possession by possession. Late in the game, Kenadee Frey came up big with back-to-back layups in the final seconds to bring Blackburn within one point. The Beavers forced a final turnover to regain possession with a chance to win, but the last-second three-point attempt narrowly missed, sealing the 71–70 decision.

The Beavers return home for a non-conference matchup against Calumet College on Saturday afternoon, with tipoff scheduled for 2:00 pm.