By: Colton Steiner

WOOSTER, Ohio - The Bluffton University Beavers faced off against the La Roche Redhawks in the consolation game of the Al Van Wie/Wooster Rotary Classic at the College of Wooster in a high scoring battle. While the Beavers were able to keep the contest close in the first half, a second half surge from the Redhawks was too much to overcome as they slipped to 0-4 on the season with a 95-81 loss to LaRoche.

Bluffton was able to get on the board first when Nevin Robson (Kenton/Hardin Northern) knocked down a bucket to put the Beavers up 2-0 in the first minute. The Redhawks answered with a 12-4 run before a Michael Stammen (Versailles) triple cut the deficit to three. On the following La Roche possession, Michael Brooks responded with a three for the Redhawks to push their lead to 15-9 with 13:49 left in the half.

After five consecutive points for La Roche, an 8-0 spurt from Bluffton that featured threes from Stammen and JD Stokes (West Harrison, Ind./Franklin County), brought the Beavers within three. The two teams battled for the last 10 minutes of the half, with Caden Slusher (Rockford/Parkway) hitting a triple in the final five seconds of the half, bringing the score to 44-40 in favor of the Redhawks.

After hitting 51.9 percent (14-of-27) of their shots from the field in the first half, Bluffton would open up with five straight points from Nevin Robson for a 45-44 lead a minute into the half. Neither team would budge as they would be tied at the 13:11 mark after Michael Stammen evened up the score at 55 after rolling in a layup. However, the Redhawks answered with eight straight to go up 64-55 with 10 minutes left in regulation.

Bluffton was able to pull within five following a Kelvin Turner (Cincinnati/Lakota West) jumper which made the score 66-61, but Michael Brooks was lethal for La Roche, scoring eight of their next 10 points as the Redhawks led 76-64 with 6:31 left in regulation. In the final six minutes, the Beaver defense was unable to slow the momentum as they would fall to the Redhawks 95-81.

Bluffton would shoot 28-of-61 (45.9 percent) from the floor and 9-of-23 (39.1 percent) from behind the arc, while the Redhawks connected on 52.9 percent (37-of-70) of their shots, including an impressive 12-of-25 (48 percent) from three. Despite the Beavers having a 27-17 advantage in bench points, they would lose the rebounding battle 36-34 and cough up 14 turnovers that led to 21 points for La Roche.

Bluffton was paced by Michael Stammen with a season-high 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting with seven rebounds. Kelvin Turner added 19 off the bench, including four triples. Nevin Robson chipped in 14 with seven boards en route to being selected to the all-tournament team.

The Beavers will return home on Tuesday, Nov. 26, when they welcome Kenyon for a 7 p.m. tipoff.

-BEAVERS-