BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University men's basketball team could not overcome a 10-of-35 shooting display in the hirst half as Mount St. Joseph capped off its season sweep with a 64-58 victory on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. Bluffton fell to 7-17 overall and 3-14 in the Heartland Conference on a night when the Beavers honored George Hostetler for over 50 years of scoreboard service. MSJ improved to 7-17 and 7-10 in the HCAC.
Bluffton trailed 7-3 before back-to-back Michael Stammen (Versailles) jumpers knotted the game up with 12:47 on the clock. Stammen scored the first nine points for Bluffton and his layup in the paint made it 9-9 less than a minute later. A Sihr Sumner (Delaware/Rutherford B. Hayes) layin followed by Matt Ray (Indianapolis, Ind./Herron) triple put Bluffton up 14-11 at the 10:43 mark.
Eight straight Lion counters had the visitors up five, but Stammen chimed in with four quick points, pulling the home team within one (19-18). Mount St. Joseph pushed its spread to 31-23 on the strength of a 12-5 run to close the half.
The MSJ lead hovered between nine and 14 points until Ian Snelling (Erlanger, Ky./Dixie Heights) hit from the paint, making it 53-45 with 5:29 to play. Buckets by Connor Martin (Holland/Springfield) and Ray got it down to four at the 4:23 mark. An old-fashioned three-point play from Martin made it 59-56, but the Lions salted it away with three late freebies for a 64-58 victory.
Stammen paced the good guys with 17 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. Martin and Ray chipped in with nine counters apiece. Sumner ripped down a career-high eight rebounds. Martin equaled his career best with five blocks, while Snelling picked off a career-high five steals.
Bluffton hit just 24-of-67 (35.8 percent) from the field, including a paltry 4-of-21 (19 percent) from distance. The Beavers also struggled at the line, going 6-for-11 (54.5 percent). MSJ dominated the glass to the tune of a 45-32 advantage, but the Beavers forced them into 12 more turnovers (17-5).
The Bluffton men will wrap up their first season under Head Coach Seth Clark when they welcome Defiance College for the final time as a member of the Heartland Conference. Tip-off- is slated for approximately 8 p.m. following the women's lidlifter at 6 p.m. It will be senior night for both the men and women.
-BEAVERS-
