Bluffton, Ohio - The Bluffton University men's basketball team rallied from 11 points down with 4:40 to play, but fell just short in a 69-68 loss to Rose-Hulman on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. Bluffton stands 2-3 overall and 0-1 in the Heartland Conference, while RHIT improved to 3-3 and 1-0 in the HCAC.
Five straight Engineer tallies had the visitors cruising 64-53 with 4:40 to play, but Bluffton turned it around on a dime, outscoring Rose 13-3 and making it a one-point game with a minute to play. Ian Snelling (Erlanger, Ky./Dixie Heights) and Cam Rogers (Cincinnati/Christian) both dialed long distance as the home team made its run. A Josh Crall (Bucyrus/Wynford) layup kept the Beavers within one at the 43-second mark and Rose's miss with less than 20 seconds to play gave Bluffton one final shot. Rogers tried to put it up through contact, but the Engineers fielded the miss to secure their HCAC-opening victory.
Crall sandwiched a triple and a fastbreak layup around a Michael Stammen (Versailles) deuce, giving Bluffton an early 9-5 lead at the 16:28 mark. Myles Thomas (Chicago, Ill./Leo) got in on the scoring action, making it 12-5 with 13:03 on the clock, but the Beaver offense bogged down and a Rose dunk gave the Engineers a 29-21 lead at the intermission.
The home team needed just 5:41 to score its first 21 points of the second half thanks to a pair of Snelling triples and two more trifectas from Rogers! A Rogers jumper gave the Beavers a 44-40 lead with 13:38 to play. Matt Ray (Indianapolis, Ind./Herron) hit from outside the arc, making it 47-44, but a 20-6 jag by the visitors set up the photo finish.
Snelling score a career-high 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 3-for-6 from deep. He stuffed the stat sheet with six rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal. Rogers connected on three triples for 14 points. Connor Martin (Holland/Springfield) chipped in with 11 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two pickoffs. Crall and Ray added nine points apiece.
Bluffton hit 26-of-60 from the field for 43.3 percent. The Beavers were 9-of-24 (37.5 percent) on triples and 7-of-10 (70 percent) at the line. Rose ripped down eight more boards (41-33), but the Engineers also turned it over two more times (14-12).
The Beavers head to Manchester for a 7:30 p.m. tip with the Spartans on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023.
-BEAVERS-
