February 13, 2010
By: Brent Schroeder, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University men met up with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in their final home contest of the 2009-10 campaign on Saturday, February 13. The Beavers rallied late in the second half but fell just short as Rose improved to 7-16 overall and 3-11 in the Heartland Conference. Bluffton slipped to 2-22 overall and 2-13 in the HCAC. Before the game, Bluffton honored seniors JOSH EICHAR (North Baltimore), TYLER BRAIDIC (Pandora-Gilboa) and JORDAN POTHAST (Ottawa Glandorf) for their hard work both on and off the court.
Bluffton struck first on a layup by sophomore guard MYCHAL HILL (London/Jon. Alder). The Engineers answered quickly with a jump shot by senior guard JEFF MCCARTNEY. The opening five minutes of the game featured three ties and six lead changes with the Beavers and Engineers battling for momentum.
The Beaver offense went on hiatus after sophomore guard NICK LEE'S (Mt. Blanchard/Vanlue) jumper tied the game at nine with 15:48 left in the first half. The home team only scored two points over the next six minutes. Meanwhile, the Engineers put up 14 points which gave them a commanding 23-11 lead midway through the first period. The Beavers were left deflated as Rose-Hulman freshman forward NATE GISSENTANNER put in two lay-ups off of Beaver turnovers in a 25-second stretch. Bluffton limped into the locker room down 13 at halftime (37-24).
The Beavers began the second half trying to claw their way back into the game. However, sloppy possessions and consistent scoring by AUSTIN WEATHERFORD, JON GERKEN, and senior Jeff McCartney left the Beavers looking for answers at the 13:47 mark in the second period as a 13-point deficit increased to a 18 (49-31) following a JASON HASLAG deuce off the glass.
Bluffton still down by 17 with 8:28 left to play when Hill and Lee knocked down back-to-back triples to make it an 11-point game at the 7:13 mark. Those buckets started a 13-0 jag which trimmed the RHIT lead to four points after consecutive steals by
Josh Eichar and
Mychal Hill in the Rose backcourt.
The scoring explosion ended when Rose-Hulman's Jeff McCartney drained a three at the 5:35 mark to silence the home crowd. Bluffton freshman JOSH FISHER (Rockford/Parkway) would not be denied, however, as he quickly converted a tough lay-up, switching hands and falling away from the basket while making the score 60-55 with 5:14 left in regulation.
The Beavers rallied to pull within one point on two
Josh Fisher free throws with 10 seconds left in regulation, making the score 63-62. After a Bluffton foul, Rose-Hulman sophomore guard BLAKE KNOTTS drained a pair of free throws to put the Engineers on top by three with seven seconds left to play.
Bluffton called a timeout with four ticks remaining to draw up a final play. Beaver senior
Josh Eichar in-bounded the ball to
Josh Fisher who hit
Nick Lee with just two seconds left. With a defender draped on him, Lee put up a prayer that was left unanswered as the ball bounded off the side of the rim ensuring a season sweep of Bluffton by the Engineers.
Mychal Hill paced the home team with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. He knocked down two threes, dished out four assists, came up with four steals and buried five-of-six shots from the stripe.
Brent Farley and
Nick Lee also hit for double digits with 15 and 10 points, respectively.
Josh Eichar chipped in with four thefts and four assists, while
Nick Lee also doled out four assists. Eichar ripped down seven rebounds and Farley finished with five caroms.
Rose-Hulman dominated on the glass (33-23), but the Engineers turned it over six more times (17-11) than the home squad. RHIT was 27-of-50 (54 percent) from the field, compared to 22-of-52 (42.3 percent) for Bluffton. Jason Haslag, who sat out over 18 minutes of the first half with two fouls, and Austin Weatherford led the visitors with 13 points apiece. Jon Gerken tallied a game-high eight rebounds.
The final game for the Beavers will be on the road in a rematch against backyard rival Defiance College. The first time the Yellow Jackets and the Beavers faced off, Bluffton came away with its first win of the season as freshman Josh Fisher dropped in a career-high 29 points. The contest is slated for 7:30 p.m. in the Weaner Center.
-BEAVERS-