LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Bluffton University men's basketball team lost a 67-54 decision at Transylvania on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022. Transy improved to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the Heartland Conference, while Bluffton fell to 1-6 and 1-2 in the HCAC.

A pair of early Kegan Owen (Indianapolis, Ind./Greenwood) triples sandwiched around a Nevin Robson (Kenton/Hardin Northern) three-ball and a pair of JD Stokes (West Harrison, Ind./Franklin County) buckets had Bluffton on top 13-5 just over five minutes into the game on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers used a 15-4 run to go up 20-17 at the 7:38 mark of the opening half.

Five straight points from Michael Stammen (Versailles) and an Owen deuce put Bluffton up 27-26 late in the first half, but the home team used a 9-0 spurt to make it 35-27 Transy at the break.

Junior Ryan Rose (Tipp City/Bethel) dialed long distance with 12:21 to play, pulling Bluffton within eight points (43-35), however, Transy rolled off nine straight counters and never led by fewer than 16 points until the final two minutes of the game. William Layfield (West Chester/Lakota West) drilled a trifecta and Stokes added a pair of buckets in the paint as Bluffton dropped a 67-54 decision at the Beck Center.

Stammen and Owen led the Beavers with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Stokes added eight markers, while Stammen stuffed the stat sheet with five assists and four rebounds.

Bluffton hit 19-of-49 from the field (38.8 percent), including 8-for-21 (38.1 percent) from distance. Stammen shot all of Bluffton's free throws, going 8-of-9 at the stripe (88.9 percent). Transy pulled down five more rebounds (35-30) and the Pioneers forced the Beavers into seven more turnovers (20-13). The home team dominated the key with a 36-20 advantage in paint points.

The Beavers will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 18, following a week of finals, when they travel to Kalamazoo College for a 3 p.m. matchup with the Hornets.

-BEAVERS-