By Dan Messerschmidt

BLUFFTON — Macey Sheerer left Bucyrus High School in 2014 as the No.1 scorer in Lady Redmen basketball history.

When Sheerer leaves Bluffton University this spring, she will hold the same position for the Beavers.

Sheerer hit a free throw with 1:57 left in the first half of Bluffton’s 85-78 overtime victory over Mount St. Joseph Wednesday night to pass Tanya Rickenberg’s 1241 points, becoming Bluffton’s career scoring leader. She projects to finish with over 1600 points.

“Setting the scoring record in high school was one thing,” Sheerer said. “I definitely didn’t expect to do it in college.”

Those who knew her best were not nearly as surprised as Sheerer herself.

Current Buckeye Central coach Greg Moore coached Sheerer three of her four years at Bucyrus.

“Macey was a hard worker and loved the game of basketball,” Moore said. “She was a great athlete and whether she was playing softball, tennis or basketball, nobody outworked Macey.”

Work ethic seemed to be the underlying theme observed by coaches and teammates alike.

“She’s probably one of the best kids I’ve ever coached,” Bluffton coach Chad Shutler said. “If you looked up hard work in the dictionary, it would describe Macey.”

Bucyrus girls’ coach Taylor Whitaker, herself now eighth on the Bluffton scoring list, played alongside Sheerer.

“She outworks everyone,” Whitaker said. “The two years I played with her, she got a lot of her points off rebounds and taking the ball to the basket. Now, she shoots the three.”

Sheerer is a basketball anomaly of sorts, considering the statistics she has compiled in her career and the way she has gone about it.

She is fourth in career rebounding roughly halfway through her senior year and could end up second, though she is not particularly tall and doesn’t jump out of the gym.

“I would describe her as a Dennis Rodman type rebounder,” Shutler said. “She has herself in the right position. It’s not by luck. She is probably the best rebounder in the program and she’s a 5-6 guard.”

“Early in her (high school) career, she rebounded, attacked the basket and got to the free throw line,” Moore said. “She hadn’t even attempted a 3 going into her junior year.”

“She’s not the tallest player on the floor, but she has the head to go get it,” Whitaker said. “She has that type of mentality. Macey rebounds and goes right back up with it, no matter who’s standing there.”

“I just try to outwork other people and go get it,” Sheerer said of her rebounding success. “A lot of people just expect it to come to you.”

Sheerer’s avoidance of long-distance shooting was not at the urging of her coaches.

“She always had a good shot, she just needed confidence to shoot the 3,” Shutler said. “We challenged her in the offseason prior to her junior year.”

That year, Sheerer had 70 attempts from beyond the arc, after only 40 combined in her first two years. It has paid dividends. Her 3 sent Wednesday’s game into overtime. Sheerer has made 20 of her 45 long-distance shots this year, which leads the team.

The pursuit of a scoring record has never been a focus for Sheerer nor was it a distraction this year as the record drew nearer.

“We’ve had a lot of tough competition and I wasn’t even thinking about (the scoring record),” Sheerer said. “I’m focusing on the game-plan. It’s all about winning games now and making the tournament.”

The Beavers are 9-3 on the season, 4-1 in the 10-team Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, good for second place, one game back of Rose-Hulman.

“She is quiet, humble and does her job,” Shutler said. “We’re blessed to have her. You almost have to tell her to be more selfish.”

Sheerer has blue-collar basketball blood lines. Her father, Jeff, was an undersized post in the Bucyrus boys program and finished with 572 points in his career.

With all the success she has had, Sheerer never wondered if she could have played at a level higher than Division III Bluffton. She is in the top 10 in seven different categories for the Beavers, with the most free throws made with 404 and holding, in addition to scoring and rebounding.

“I’m happy I got to play another four years (beyond high school),” Sheerer said. “It was still at good competition here.”

“I told her it was awesome to (break the record) at Bucyrus and then at Bluffton,” Whitaker said. “We’re actually really good friends. She’s going to be in my wedding this summer.”

Basketball could continue to be a part of Sheerer’s life after graduation. Her major is in Sports Management.

“A lot of people say you have a peak,” Whitaker said. “She hasn’t peaked yet.”

Shutler recognized Sheerer’s potential while recruiting her.

“She definitely had the characteristics we look for,” Shutler said. “Kids like her are impact players. Kids like her don’t come around very often. She’s a benefit to our program and our school.”

“She was fun to coach, fun to be around,” Moore said. “She was a leader, not a vocal leader, but led by example. I never saw her lose her poise. She was always even-keeled, never down. She was mentally prepared and gave 110 percent.”

With her work ethic and demeanor guiding her, Sheerer will undoubtedly go on to accomplishments in life far beyond basketball scoring titles.