LEXINGTON, Ky.—An 11-0 first half run and a 7-0 run to end the game propelled the 13th ranked Transylvania Pioneers to a 61-48 victory over the Bluffton University Beavers in the semifinals of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament Saturday afternoon at the Clive M. Beck Center.

With the score tied 8-8 with 11:32 remaining in the first half, the Pioneers seized control with an 11-0 run that spanned 6:20 on the game clock. The decisive run began with senior forward Alex McKenzie's free throw at the 11:12 mark. McKenzie gave Transylvania the lead at 9-8, a lead the Pioneers would not relinquish. Junior guard Katelyn Smith added five points during the run, and Transylvania cruised into halftime with a 32-16 lead. The Pioneer defense also stepped up in the first half, holding the Beavers to just 25 percent (7-of-28) from the field and outrebounding Bluffton by a margin of 28-13.

In the first half, the Pioneers were led by Smith's 11 points. Sophomore guard Jordin Fender scored seven points, and McKenzie added five points and six rebounds for Transylvania.

Up 16 points at 32-16 coming out of the break, the Pioneers saw their lead shrink to just six at 54-48, but a 7-0 Transylvania run over the final 4:32 sealed the victory for the Pioneers. With 4:32 remaining in the game, senior guard Nicole Coffman converted two free throws to extend the lead to 56-48. On the ensuing play, Fender blocked a Bluffton shot and then converted one of two from the charity stripe after a Beaver foul. Up 57-48, Smith converted 4-of-4 free throws in the final 3:37 to seal the Transylvania victory and earn a berth in Sunday afternoon's HCAC championship.

For the game, the Pioneers were led by Smith's 24 points and eight rebounds. Fender finished with 15 points, and Coffman added a dozen points and seven boards. McKenzie pulled down 10 rebounds to go with five points as Transylvania outrebounded Bluffton by a 47-25 margin. The Beavers were led by Kaycee Rowe's 12 points and eight rebounds.

With their 25th win of the season, the Pioneers (25-1, 19-0 HCAC) advanced to Sunday afternoon's HCAC championship. Transylvania will face the second-seeded Hanover College Panthers (18-8, 14-5) on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. The Panthers advanced to the championship game after defeating the Rose-Hulman Engineers 65-51. The Panthers were led by Shauna Watson's 14 points. Hanover's Megan Caudill finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

The HCAC tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.