BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University men's basketball team rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit before falling just short in an 85-80 loss to Manchester University on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. Bluffton slipped to 7-13 overall and 3-10 in the Heartland Conference, while the Spartans improved to 13-7 and 10-3 in the HCAC.
The Beavers jumped out to a quick 7-2 advantage when Sihr Sumner (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) sandwiched a pair of tough jumpers in the key around a Michael Stammen (Versailles) triple! Four straight points from Nevin Robson (Kenton/Hardin Northern) followed by a Stammen hoop and harm helped the Beavers go up 19-16 midway through the first half.
A Myles Thomas (Chicago, Ill./Leo) bucket knotted it up at 28 apiece with 4:07 to play in the opening stanza, but a 10-2 run had the visitors up 38-30 when Robson dialed long distance, making it 38-33 at the half.
The Spartans kept their foot on the gas in the second half, going on a 25-13 splurge that had them on top 63-46 at the 11:33 mark. Robson and Ian Snelling (Erlanger, Ky./Dixie Heights) found their marks and the home team started to crawl back into it. Robson then followed a Snelling duece with one of his own and the Manchester lead was down to eight (66-58) with 7:55 to play.
Manchester was still up by 10 when Snelling hit from beyond the arc and Stammen from in close. Two Snelling freebies made it 78-73 with 1:42 to go. Robson found a way to get his fastbreak dunk down despite getting hammered at the hoop. His old-fashioned triplicate pulled the Beavers within two points (78-76) at the minute mark.
Two foul shots for Snelling had the good guys within three, but Manchesters stalwarts Zach Sawyer and Bryant Smith salted it away with four freebies of their own for the 85-80 victory. Sawyer hit 11-of-19 from the field for a game-high 31 points and he added 10 boards and seven assists. Smith was 5-of-9 from way downtown en route to 28 markers.
Robson was a red-hot 9-of-12 from the field as he played bully ball with the Spartans, cashing in for a career-high 24 big ones! Snelling and Stammen added 14 apiece, while Thomas tallied 12 counters. Connor Martin (Holland/Springfield) pulled down nine rebounds and Snelling finished with seven caroms. Sumner went for a career-high eight points.
Bluffton hit 27-of-61 from the field (44.3 percent), but just 5-of-20 (25 percent) outside the arc. The Beavers were outstanding at the line, draining 21-of-23 (91.3 percent). The home team pulled down four more rebounds (39-35), but the Beavers also turned it over four more times (11-7).
The Bluffton men will head to Franklin College for a 4 p.m. matchup with the Grizzlies on Saturday, Feb. 3, following the women's clash in the Spurlock Center.
-BEAVERS-