November 17, 2000

North Central College handed Bluffton College a 79-68 loss in the first game of the season for both teams Friday night in the North Central College Tip-off Tournament in Naperville, Illinois. Bluffton will take on Heartland Conference foe Franklin College Saturday at 6:00 to decide the tournament's third and fourth place finishers.

North Central advances to the championship game against the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse at 8:00 Saturday night. UW-LaCrosse topped Franklin College, last season's HCAC champion, Friday night by a 79-63 final score.

North Central avenged a loss in Founders Hall last season to the Beavers in the McDonald's of Bluffton Holiday Tournament.

Bluffton got 23 points from Jeremy Roberts and 22 points from Travis Elsass.

BC committed just eight turnovers compared to 16 by North Central, but the Beavers shot just 35% from the floor and were out-rebounded 36-33. North Central, playing on their home court, shot 52% from the floor and made all 15 foul shots they attempted on the night.

Bluffton trailed by nine points with under five minutes to go in the first half but came back to face just a one point deficit at halftime, 35-35. BC took a 43-42 lead with 17:00 remaining in the second half but the host NCC squad built up a 15 point lead over the next ten minutes of play and held off a late BC rally to close out their 11 point victory.

-BEAVERS-