BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University men hosted Hanover College on a cold Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, and for the fans who watched the women's matchup with the Panthers it was a bad case of deja vu. Hanover won game one, 74-50, and the Panther men made it a clean sweep with a 72-50 victory in the nightcap.

Just like the first game, Bluffton led 5-4 following a Kegan Owen (Indianapolis, Ind./Greenwood) long ball at the 15:52 mark, but the Beavers didn't crack double digits until Connor Martin (Holland/Springfield) knocked down a jumper with 4:27 to play in the opening half. Bluffton's defense kept the halftime score respectable as the home team trailed 31-17 after 20 minutes of action.

Owen dialed long distance to open the second stanza, helping Bluffton trim the deficit to 11 points, but Bluffton managed just four more points until freshman Brady Wheeler (Lima/Shawnee) drilled a three-ball at the 11:12 mark. Junior Michael Stammen (Versailles) uncorked a triple just over a minute later making it 49-30 Panthers midway through the final stanza.

Hanover led by as many as 27 with 6:20 to play before seven points from Miguel Ringer (Cincinnati/Christian) and five Nick Winslow (Norwalk/St. Paul) markers made the final score 72-50.

Stammen paced the Beavers with 10 points, while Owen added eight markers. Owen led the way with four rebounds. Wheeler dished out a career-high three assists and Stammen picked up three steals.

Bluffton hit just 19-of-57 from the field (33.3 percent), compared to 29-of-67 (43.3 percent) for the visitors. Hanover knocked down three more triples (9-6) and the Panthers pounded the glass with a ridiculous 52-27 rebounding margin. The Beavers turned it over three fewer times (10-7), but Hanover dominated the paint (34-14).

Bluffton is off until next Saturday, Dec. 10, when the Beavers head down Interstate 75 for a 2 p.m. meeting with Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky.

-BEAVERS-