March 19, 2002

The Bluffton College post-season men's basketball banquet was held Sunday, March 17, with senior Rod Overmyer and juniors Derek DeNero and Mike Leimeister taking home team awards.

Overmyer took home the Most Consistent Player Award after being named first team All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and leading the team and league in scoring at 19.4 points per game. His 71 three-point field goals made also led the league, and he ranked third on the team in rebounding (4.9 rpg) and free throw percentage (.815). He started all 26 games and played the most minutes of any player on the squad.

As a returning All-HCAC performer from a year ago, Overmyer was consistently targeted by opposing defenses this season but didn't let that stop him from leading the team in scoring nine times and going over the 1,000 point mark for his career on Feb. 9.

DeNero and Leimeister shared the team's Most Improved Player Award as both players became league leaders in several statistics after serving as role players off the bench during their sophomore seasons.

DeNero averaged 3.6 points per game and added 1.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore when he played in 23 games and averaged 10 minutes of playing time per game. This season he started all 26 games and averaged 14.5 points per game and a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game in over 29 minutes of action each game. He was named the HCAC player-of-the-week on Jan. 14.

Leimeister played in just three games as a sophomore and scored two points, but this season he started all 26 games and ranked second on the team with 17.3 points per game, which also ranked second in the HCAC. He scored 30 or more points six times during the season and was among the league leaders in field goal percentage (.579), free throw percentage (.807) and rebounding (6.3 rpg). He earned HCAC player-of-the-week honors on Dec. 17 and Jan. 28 and was named the tournament MVP of the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament hosted by Heidelberg College on Dec. 22. Leimeister also took home first team All-HCAC honors at the end of the season.

-BEAVERS-