By: Joseph Watkins, sports information assistant
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. - The Bluffton University men's basketball team traveled to Manchester University to take on the Spartans in a mid-week Heartland Conference clash on Wednesday, Feb. 12. It was all Bluffton from the get go as they held the home team to just 11.1 percent (2-of-18) from the field during the first half as the Beavers allowed a modern-era low eight points through the first 20 minutes! Bluffton improved to 13-9 overall and 9-6 in the HCAC following a fifth straight victory, while Manchester fell to 8-14 and 6-9 in conference play.
The visitors went out to an early 11-0 lead when Carter Kinnaird (Lewis Center/Olentangy) knocked down a jumper with 10:12 left to play in the first half. The Spartans would finally get on the board when Matthew Westman hit from distance to make it 11-3 with 9:02 left on the clock, a scoreless span of nearly 11 minutes to start the game. Kinnaird would drill a three with 3:29 left in the half to make it 27-8, giving the visitors a comfortable 19-point lead going into the break.
After shooting just 11 percent in the first half, the home team would start to find the bottom of the net with more regularity in the second stanza. But, the Beavers continued their hot shooting as they extended the lead to 23 when Andrew Renner (Cairo/Bath) drained a three ball off of an Aaron Rich (Greenville) offensive board to make the score 42-19 with just under 15 minutes to play.
The Spartans would not go away despite the large deficit and the home team clawed back, cutting it to 10 (42-32) when CJ Hampton split a pair of free throws with 6:24 left in the contest. Despite the comeback bid by Manchester, Bluffton was able to hold on to secure the 55-42 win on the road.
Renner led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-15 from the field and 2-of-5 from behind the arc. He also pulled down a game-high nine rebounds in the win. Dezman Brown (Elyria) dropped in 14 points on 4-of-13 from the field, going a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. He also dished out a team-high four assists.
Bluffton hit 18-of-49 (36.7 percent) from the field, including 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) from distance. The visitors pulled down 32 rebounds, one more than the home squad. Manchester coughed it up 21 times, compared to just 14 miscues for the Beavers.
Bluffton will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 15, when they play host to conference foe Hanover College. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. following the men's Alumni Game which is slated for 10 a.m. The Hall of Fame inductions are also on the docket for Saturday, along with the Beaver Reveal! Come out and make a day of it at the Sommer Center!
-BEAVERS-