By: Nathan Zuercher, sports information assistant

BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Beavers won the second matchup in two nights against Earlham on Saturday, Jan. 23. The men's squad defeated the Quakers in stunning fashion, 67-45, as the Beavers stayed undefeated while moving to 7-0 on the season.

The Beavers started out fast and furious against the Quakers. The backcourt duo of Dezman Brown (Elyria) and Jameel Cosby (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) paced the home team in the first stanza with eight points each. Senior Aaron Rich (Greenville) added six points while pulling down seven boards for the Beavers. Sophomore standout Mike Ketner (Minster) knocked down two jumpers and made a pair of free throws to give him six in the first half. The Beavers led by 10 (32-22) heading into the break.

In the second half, it was more of the same for Cosby who torched the Quake show with 14 more points, dominating the game as he continued driving to the hoop and finishing or getting fouled. Rich kept control of the paint in the second, scoring six more points and ripping down five rebounds to go along with a steal. Sophomore Marcus Bruns (Coldwater) looked smooth in the second half, tossing in six points on 3-of-4 shooting as well as snagging four rebounds.

The Beavers finished the game on a roll, scoring 35 in the half and winning with a score of 67-45. John Draper (South Euclid/Brush) got his name in the book, driving down broadway for an uncontested layin as time expired.

The double-digit scorers for the Beavers were Cosby (22), Rich (12) and Brown (12). Cosby also handed out a team-best four of them for the victors. Rich finished with his third double-double in six games, grabbing a team high 12 boards to add to his 12 points.

The Beavers shot 46.3 percent (25-of-54) from the floor, compared to 18-of-47 (38.3 percent) for the Quakers. Bluffton was just 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) from behind the arc, while Earlham shot 27.3 percent (3-of-11). Bluffton dominated in the paint (40-12) and also outscored the Quakers 12-0 on second chance opportunities. The Beavers also controlled the boards with a ridiculous 42-22 advantage on the glass.

The Beavers are back in action again next Friday, Jan. 29, when they welcome Manchester University to the Sommer Cent for a 7:30 p.m. tip.

-BEAVERS-