By Tim Stried
January 20, 2003

Bluffton College senior Mike Leimeister (Collins, Ohio/Edison H.S.) has been named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference player-of-the-week. This marks the second time this season, and the fourth in his career, that Leimeister has been named the HCAC player-of-the-week. He was also named the HCAC player-of-the-week two weeks ago and twice last season as a junior.

Leimeister, a 6-3 forward/center, led the Beavers to their first HCAC win on Saturday as Bluffton knocked off Transylvania University 93-83 in Lexington, Ky., and for the week he collected 47 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and two steals in a pair of games.

Leimeister scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds in an 89-75 loss at Thomas More College on Wednesday. He returned Saturday to score a game-high 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting in Bluffton's 93-83 win at Transylvania. Leimeister also added six rebounds and two steals in the win.

Leimeister, a co-captain for BC this season, is leading the HCAC in scoring at 23.1 points per game and is second in rebounding at 7.9 per game.

Bluffton is now 7-9 overall and 1-5 in the HCAC and will host league rival Defiance College Wednesday night in Founders Hall.

At Edison H.S., Leimeister was a three-year letterwinner and a two-year All-Sandusky Bay Conference selection.