BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University men's basketball team gave Anderson University all it wanted in a 93-87 loss to the Ravens on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. Anderson clinched the #1 seed and tournament hosting responsibilities when Transylvania fell to Manchester on Saturday. Bluffton stands 7-16 overall and 3-13 in the Heartland Conference, while Anderson improved to 19-4 and 14-2 in the HCAC.
Five points from Ian Snelling (Erlanger, Ky./Dixie Heights) and a Josh Crusey (Piqua) jumper put Bluffton up 7-5 at the 17:43 mark of the first half. Anderson took a 25-14 lead midway through the opening stanza and the Raven lead hovered at double digits until Crusey dialed long distance with 56 seconds on the clock and Nevin Robson (Kenton/Hardin Northern) got to the rack, pulling Bluffton within five points (46-41). An Anderson tip-in at the buzzer made it 48-41 heading to the intermission.
Robson immediately cut it back to five 14 seconds in and a pair of Michael Stammen (Versailles) jumpers made it a four-point game (52-48). A Robson deuce coupled with another Crusey trey made it 59-57 at the 12:37 mark. Stammen and William Layfield (West Chester/Lakota West) combined to go 6-of-6 at the line thanks to a pair of Anderson fouls and a technical on the Raven coach. Bluffton led 63-62, but the Ravens responded with a 13-4 run that gave the visitors a 75-67 lead with 7:17 to play.
AU opened an 84-73 spread at the 3:35 mark, but the Beavers would not go away. Back-to-back Crusey long balls and a Myles Thomas (Chicago, Ill./Leo) hoop and harm cut it down to two points in a hurry! Crusey found his stroke one more time, with 33 ticks remaining. However, Anderson avoided the loss with four straight makes from the charity stripe.
Crusey torched his career high with 21 points, including a career-best five triples! Snelling and Stammen backed him with 17 points apiece. A 12-board night for Snelling gave him his fourth double-double as a Beaver. Robson added 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for his first double-double! He also dished out a career-best five assists. Thomas handed out a career-high seven dimes!
Bluffton hit 30-of-81 (37 percent) from the field, including 9-for-35 (25.7 percent) outside the arc. The Beavers were 18-of-23 (78.3 percent) from the stripe thanks to a perfect 9-of-9 for Stammen. The home team pulled down three more rebounds (50-47) and both teams played relatively clean basketball with 11 turnovers apiece in a game that was electric from start to finish.
The Bluffton men are back in the Sommer Center on Tuesday, Feb. 13, when Mount St. Joseph comes to town. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. following a ceremony to honor long-time scoreboard operator George Hostetler!
-BEAVERS-
