January 10, 2007
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. - The Bluffton University men's basketball team found the road treacherous for the second consecutive game, falling 72-62 to the Manchester College Spartans on Wednesday, January 10, 2007. With the loss, the Beavers fell into a four-way tie for second place in the Heartland Conference, one-half game behind Mt. St. Joseph who is currently 5-2 in the HCAC. Bluffton now stands 12-3 overall and 4-2 in HCAC action.
The Beavers led 59-56 following a COLT CUNNINGHAM (Powell/Worthington Christian) trifecta with 5:15 to play in the game before Manchester ended the game with a 16-3 spurt to give Bluffton consecutive losses for the first time this season. JAMAAL WADE scored seven of his game-high 24 points down the stretch to seal the win for the Spartans who improved to 10-5 overall and 2-4 in the HCAC.
The Beavers and Spartans traded baskets to start the game until senior MIKE ANTHONY (Ohio City/Delphos St. John's) found the hoop for consecutive scores and sophomore JOSIAH STOBER (Spencerville/Spencerville) hit from the key to give the Beavers a 12-6 lead five minutes into the contest.
Manchester answered with back-to-back three-pointers, knotting the score at 12 at the 12-minute mark.
Senior DAVID PATCH (Minster/Minster) put the Beavers on top by a point, 18-17, with 8:23 to play in the opening stanza.
Following a KYLE PLUMLEE basket, Mike Anthony drilled a triple and Colt Cunningham nailed a jumper to give the Beavers a 23-19 advantage with 6:04 on the clock.
Wade capped an 8-2 Manchester run when he dialed from long distance, however, freshmanZACK KRAUS (Findlay/Findlay) promptly responded with three points the old-fashioned way, putting Bluffton on top by a point, 28-27.
Cunningham hit two baskets with time winding down in the opening half, but the Spartans took a 34-32 lead at the break.
Anthony opened the second half with four consecutive points and ERIC SCHWIETERMAN (St. Henry/St. Henry) hit a driving layup to give the Beavers a 38-36 lead. Another Schwieterman bucket and three-point play from NICK WILSON (Payne/Continental) gave Bluffton its largest lead of the game, 46-39, with 14:36 to play in the game.
Wilson converted on his second three-point play of the game and Anthony hit a pair from the charity stripe to keep the Beavers in command, 56-52, at the seven-minute mark.
The Spartans scored the next four points to tie the contest at 56 before Cunningham gave Bluffton its last lead of the game with 5:15 to play.
Manchester hit 27-of-57 from the field (47 percent), including 13-of-25 (52 percent) in the second half. The Beavers managed just 3-of-11 from outside the arc and were outrebounded by the Spartans, 36-27.
Mike Anthony led Bluffton with 20 points and four rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, including 2-of-4 from long distance. Colt Cunningham was the only other double-digit scorer for the Beavers, finishing with 15 points. Nick Wilson chipped in with nine points and four boards while Josiah Stober also grabbed four rebounds. Schwieterman led Bluffton with three steals.
The Beavers return to action on Saturday, January 13, 2007, when they host Hanover College in the second game of a Heartland Conference doubleheader in Founders Hall. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. and it will immediately follow the women's contest versus the Panthers which starts at 1 p.m.
-BEAVERS-