BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University men's basketball team picked a great night to put its first result in the win column, downing Mount St. Joseph in the Heartland Conference lidlifter for both teams on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. Bluffton improved to 1-4 and 1-0 in the HCAC, while MSJ fell to 1-4 and 0-1 in the conference.
A triple from Nevin Robson (Kenton/Hardin Northern) that just missed the McDonald's Minute for free fries and a Brady Wheeler (Lima/Shawnee) jumper put Bluffton up 5-4 before the first media timeout of the game. Wheeler was just getting warmed up as he hit back-to-back trifectas, making it 11-8 at the 12:55 mark!
MSJ went up 14-11 at the midway point of period one before Bluffton took control with a 15-3 jag that made the score 26-17 with 4:54 on the clock when Michael Stammen (Versailles) got to the rack. Kegan Owen (Indianapolis, Ind./Greenwood), Marcus Bruns (Coldwater) and Ryan Rose (Tipp City/Bethel) all dialed long distance in a span of just 1:12 as Bluffton took a 28-19 lead at the break.
Owen hit a pullup and Wheeler nailed all three of his charity tosses at the 16:03 mark of the second half, making it 35-26 in favor of the good guys. Bluffton bigs JD Stokes (West Harrison, Ind./Franklin County) and Connor Martin (Holland/Springfield) both hit from in close, giving the home team a 39-31 cushion, but the Lions used a 9-3 spurt to pull within 42-40 at the 7:06 mark.
Wheeler answered the call with a hoop and harm before Owen pushed it back to five points (47-42). Two more Wheeler deuces and a pair of Owen freebies gave the Beavers a 53-45 advantage with 32 ticks remaining. A pair of Martin makes followed by two more free throws by Owen made the final score 57-50 with Bluffton on top!
Leading the way were Wheeler and Owen with 18 and 13 markers, respectively. Wheeler hit 6-of-11 from the field, including 2-for-3 from deep. Martin just missed double figures with a career-high nine points on 3-of-5 from the field. He and Wheeler both pulled down five rebounds, a career best for Wheeler. Stammen led the home team with three assists and three steals.
Bluffton hit 20-of-45 (44.4 percent) from the field, including a red-hot 6-for-13 (46.2 percent) outside the arc. The Beavers were nearly perfect at the line, drilling 11-of-12 (91.7 percent). Both teams pulled down 27 rebounds and MSJ turned it over one more time (13-12). Bluffton finished with a 22-14 edge in paint points.
The Bluffton men will be act two on Saturday, Dec. 3, when Hanover College makes the four-hour trip to Allen County. Bluffton's women tip at 2 p.m. with the male Beavers to follow at approximately 4 p.m. Come out and support your Beavers!
-BEAVERS-