By Ben Risinger, sports information director
March 1, 2005
BLUFFTON, Ohio - Junior SCOTT BERGMAN (Elmore/Woodmore) has been named the 2005 Heartland Conference's Most Valuable Player in men's basketball. Junior ERIC SWEET(Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf) and sophomore MICHAEL ANTHONY (Ohio City/Delphos St. John's) were selected to the HCAC honorable mention team.
Bergman finished the 2004-05 campaign with a 23.9 points per game average as he led Bluffton University and the Heartland Conference in scoring. Bergman scored 334 points during the conference campaign which is the second most points ever scored in a single conference basketball season (Anderson University's Chaz Smoot scored 355 points in the 1998-99 season). His 23.9 points per game ranks him at fifth on the all-time HCAC season average scoring list.
Bergman was ninth in the HCAC in rebounding (5.8 rebounds per game), fourth in free throw percentage (84 percent), fourth in steals (1.57 steals per game) and second in three-point field goals made (44 total). For the entire season he averaged 22 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game. Bergman was also selected first-team all-conference for his efforts. During the regular season Bergman broke the Bluffton single-game scoring record as he drove in 50 points against Anderson. He also surpassed the 1,000 point barrier in the final regular season game of the year against Manchester. Bergman now stands at 1,053 points for his career.
"We are very happy and proud of Scott, I feel this is a well deserved honor," head coach Guy Neal said. "Being named conference MVP is a result of how hard he has worked individually along with how well our team played as a unit. This past summer Scott took his off-season workouts to a new level which really helped him this year."
Junior Eric Sweet and sophomore Michael Anthony were selected to the men's basketball honorable mention team. Sweet finished the HCAC season with a 12.2 points per game average (11th in HCAC) and 6.7 rebounds per game to place third in the HCAC. Anthony compiled a 11.5 points per game average (15th in HCAC) and pulled down 3.7 rebounds per game.
"I was very pleased to see that the coaches in the league respected the play of Eric and Mike. I'm very proud of their efforts and think they are very deserving of their awards," Neal said.
Bluffton University finished the 2004-05 season with a 14-13 overall mark and a 6-8 record in the Heartland Conference. The Beavers won their first-ever HCAC tournament game at Manchester, 77-70, and lost in the HCAC semifinals to Hanover College 77-67.