By: Ethan Stearns, sports information intern
BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Bluffton University men's basketball team slipped to 4-12 overall and 2-7 in the Heartland Conference after falling 65-47 in a home matchup against Manchester University on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. Manchester improved to 8-8 and 6-3 in the HCAC.
The Beavers went into halftime trailing by just one point, 23-22, but Manchester got hot in the second stanza as the Spartans outscored Bluffton 42-25. The Beavers came out fighting in the first half, taking an early 8-5 lead behind a tough bucket from Connor Martin (Holland/Springfield) as well as a mid-range jumper from Kegan Owen (Indianapolis, Ind./Greenwood).
Manchester fought back, getting to the rack for a couple of layups before knocking down a charity toss which tied it up at eight apiece. Cam Rogers (Cincinnati/Cincinnati Christian) went on a roll, scoring seven straight points for the Beavers as they forged their largest lead of the game, 17-10. The two teams battled back and forth as Martin grabbed seven first-half boards and Bluffton went into the intermission down by one (23-22).
Manchester came out of the break on fire, going on a 15-4 run over the first five minutes of the second half. Marcus Bruns (Coldwater) scored for the Beavers with a nice mid-range jump shot off of an assist from Michael Stammen (Versailles). Manchester continued its second half run, outscoring the Beavers 42-25 over the final 20 minutes. Despite eight second-half Martin points as well as two free throws from Brady Wheeler (Lima/Shawnee), Bluffton was unable to maintain its first-half momentum in a 65-47 loss to the visiting Spartans.
Martin had a great showing in the paint on Wednesday night en route to his first collegiate double-double, finishing the game with 12 points and a career-best 13 rebounds! He also converted four free throws on the night. Rodgers led the Beavers in scoring after an impressive showing on his way to a career-high 14 points. Stammen led the team in assists with four dimes.
Bluffton struggled from the field, hitting just 17-of-58 (29.3 percent). Manchester loved the deep ball as the Spartans attempted 29 threes, draining eight of them (27.6 percent). The visitors took advantage of Bluffton's 12 turnovers, scoring 20 points, including a 10-4 edge in fast break points. Bluffton was able to win the battle on the glass, 44-37, thanks to an 11-5 margin on the offensive end.
Bluffton hits the road for its next Heartland Conference contest when the Beavers travel to Hanover on Saturday, Jan. 21. The men kick off a double-header at 2 p.m. with the women's matchup against the Panthers to follow at approximately 4 p.m.
-BEAVERS-
