By: Nathan Zuercher: sports information assistant

BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University men's basketball team moved to 3-0 on Saturday, besting the Adrian College Bulldogs by a score of 68-52.

The Beavers were red hot in the first half, scorching the nets with 51.7 percent shooting from the field and 40.7 from behind the arc. Junior Jameel Cosby (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) paced the Beavers with nine first-half points, shooting a solid 4-of-8 from the field. Sophomore Caleb Bell (Logan) added eight points of his own, knocking down two treys. Freshman Marcus Peaks (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial) got involved in the action as well with six points and a smooth layup at the 1:10 mark. The Bulldogs wouldn't go away though, shooting 40.7 percent from the field and trailing just 40-30 at the half.

The second stanza should just be known as Dezman Brown's (Elyria) half as he once again dominated it. While only scoring two points in the first half for the second straight game, he came out and ripped off 13 for the Beavers in the second, going 5-for-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from the 3-point line. Sophomore AJ Kenney (Marion/River Valley) was back at it again in the second half as well, scoring four points and pulling down four boards. Freshman guard Michael Stammen (Versailes) popped in another long ball, making him 2-of-3 for the game en route to eight points.

The Beavers pulled away for a convincing 68-52 win, capping off a 3-0 mark against the Bulldogs this fall. Bluffton played 13 different players on Saturday with nine of them getting in the scoring column. The double-digit scorers for the Beavers were Brown (13), Cosby (11) and Bell (10). Kenney and Cosby were co-chairs of the board with seven caroms apiece. Kenney led the victors with a career-high five dimes! His seven rebounds also established a career best. Brown had two takeaways to add to his 13 points.

The Beavers shot 52.9 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from behind the arc, compared to Adrian's paltry 31 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from the 3-point line. Bluffton won the rebounding battle (40-28), but turned it over six more times (17-11). The home team finished with a 32-18 edge in the paint and an 18-11 advantage from the bench.

Bluffton is a perfect 3-0 heading into the holidays as the Beavers will take a two-week hiatus for Christmas. Check the Bluffton Athletics website over the coming weeks for an updated Heartland Conference slate.

-BEAVERS-