By Bill Hanefeld Jr., sports information director
February 28, 2006
BLUFFTON, Ohio - Seniors SCOTT BERGMAN (Elmore/Woodmore) and ERIC SWEET(Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf) have been named All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference for the 2005-06 season. Junior MICHAEL ANTHONY (Ohio City/Delphos St. John's) earned honorable mention All-HCAC honors for the second consecutive season.
Bergman again led the HCAC with 607 points, including 335 in conference play which gives him two of the top three scoring season in HCAC history behind only Chaz Smoot's (Anderson University) 355 points in 1998-99. He averaged 23.9 points per game in conference contests which was nearly six points higher than anyone else in the HCAC. Bergman put up 22.5 points per game for the season and finished his career as the third-most prolific scorer in Bluffton University history, behind only Pete DuMonte (2,416) and Clair Recker (1,667), with 1,660 points. Bergman scorched the nets for 30 or more points on seven occasions this season and scored a season-high 43 points against Franklin College on Fill Founders night.
In addition to his scoring prowess, Bergman topped the conference with 104 assists (3.85 apg), 81 made 3-point field goals, including an HCAC best 43 in conference contests and an .875 free throw shooting percentage during conference matchups. He finished seventh in the conference with 6.2 rebounds per game and fourth with 1.70 steals per game. Bergman became the fourth Bluffton University men's basketball player to finish his career with 1,000 points and 250 assists as he dished out 265 assists during his four years as a Beaver.
Sweet, who was named honorable mention All-HCAC as a junior, earned All-HCAC honors for his efforts in 2005-06. He led the HCAC with 2.81 offensive rebounds per game while hauling in 7.1 boards per outing which ranked him third overall. His 65 blocks, which broke the Bluffton record of 48 that he set in 2004-05, was second to conference MVP NICK KANE of Franklin who swatted away 71 shots during the season. He tallied 14.7 points per game to finish the year as the fifth highest scorer in the Heartland Conference.
Sweet ended his career at Bluffton as only the ninth individual to score 1,000 points while pulling down 500 rebounds. He poured in 1,081 points and brought down 568 rebounds as a Beaver. Sweet tallied 153 career blocks which places him second all-time at Bluffton behind Pete DuMonte (1984-87) who finished with 165 blocks.
Junior Mike Anthony was named honorable mention All-HCAC for the second consecutive season despite missing nine games with a broken hand. Anthony ranked third on the Beavers with 11.4 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game. He hit 80 percent from the charity stripe (44-55), handed out 45 assists and picked up 26 steals in 18 contests.
Bluffton University finished the 2005-06 season one victory short of the school record for wins set in 1984-85 as the Beavers competed in the semifinals of the Heartland Conference tournament for the second consecutive season in finishing 17-10, 6-8 HCAC. After knocking off defending tournament champion Hanover in the first round, the Franklin College Grizzlies ended the Beavers' season, 86-66, at Transylvania in the HCAC semifinals.
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