January 6, 2007
ANDERSON, Ind. - The Bluffton University men's basketball team had its school-record 11-game winning streak snapped at Anderson on January 6, 2007, despite outscoring the Ravens 53-39 in the second half. With the 77-73 loss, the Beavers now stand 12-2 overall and 4-1 in the Heartland Conference. Anderson picked up its first HCAC victory while improving to 7-6 overall.
A slow start on the road cost the Beavers a chance to top last year's school-record 11 straight wins as the Ravens dominated Bluffton 38-20 in the opening stanza en route to their first conference win of the year.
Four consecutive Anderson hoops put the Ravens on top 8-0 three minutes into the game forcing Bluffton to call a quick timeout. Freshman ZACK KRAUS (Findlay/Findlay) hit a pair of free throws to get the Beavers into the scoring column, but Anderson scored the next six points to open up a 14-2 advantage at the 14:54 mark.
Consecutive PJ JUENGER (Loveland/Archbishop Moeller) buckets and a NATE OVERMYER(Payne/Wayne Trace) triple cut the deficit to eight points before back-to-back TYLER STOTLER three-pointers gave the Ravens a 28-11 cushion midway through the first half.
Overmyer and RICKY REUCHER (Toledo/Central Catholic) both hit from beyond the arc late in the opening stanza, but the Ravens held Bluffton in check throughout the entire first half, taking a commanding 38-20 lead to the break.
Anderson pushed its lead to 24 points with 12:20 to play in the game, following an old-fashioned three-point play from VYNSYNT VANN, before the Beavers offense caught fire.
The Beavers went on a 21-3 run over a span of less than five minutes to cut into the Ravens lead, closing the deficit to five points, 60-55, with just under seven minutes to play. Overmyer and COLT CUNNINGHAM (Powell/Worthington Christian) combined for 12 points while AARON TAYLOR (Antwerp/Antwerp) hit from in close during the Bluffton rally.
Four straight MIKE ANTHONY (Ohio City/Delphos St. John's) freebies cut the Anderson lead to two points, 70-68, at the 1:56 mark. Colt Cunningham followed his conventional bucket with a long-range triple to again trim the deficit to two points with nine ticks left, but a pair of Stotler makes from the stripe sealed the victory for the Ravens, 77-73.
For the game, the Beavers hit just 35 percent from the field (18-of-52), including a miniscule 24 percent in the opening half (5-of-21). Bluffton held a 37-30 margin on the boards and turned the ball over 12 times compared to only nine miscues for Anderson. Bluffton again got to the free throw line often, hitting 30-of-37 for 81 percent. The Ravens shot well, making 26-of-53 attempts for 49 percent, including 6-of-12 from long distance (50 percent).
Colt Cunningham led the Beavers with 17 points. Nate Overmyer scored 12, all on three-pointers. Mike Anthony, who was a perfect 8-of-8 from the line, and PJ Juenger both chipped in with 10 points in the loss. Juenger pulled down a team-high six rebounds while NICK WILSON(Payne/Continental) and ERIC SCHWIETERMAN (St. Henry/St. Henry) both grabbed five boards. Schwieterman led the Beavers with four assists.
Bluffton will look to return to its winning ways when it travels to Manchester College on Wednesday, January 10, 2007. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in North Manchester, Ind.
-BEAVERS-