By: Ethan Stearns, sports information assistant
NORTH MANCHESTER, Ind. – The Bluffton University men's basketball team fell to 5-19 overall and 3-14 in the Heartland Conference following its matchup at Manchester University on Tuesday Feb. 14, 2023. The Spartans improved to 15-9 overall and an impressive 13-4 in conference play. A Friday night victory over Anderson would send Manchester into the HCAC Tournament as the number 1 seed and tourney host.
Bluffton played tough throughout the first 20 minutes but Manchester had too much firepower, outscoring the visitors 45-30 in the opening stanza. Cam Rogers (Cincinnati/Cincinnati Christian) continued his impressive play as of late, dropping in 11 first-period points!
Freshman Brady Wheeler (Lima/Shawnee) got the scoring started with a quick deuce less than a minute into the game. After a free throw from Michael Stammen (Versailles) and a Connor Martin (Holland/Springfield) layup, Wheeler converted a fast break bunny following a slick steal. A three-pointer and pull-up jumper from Rodgers pulled the Beavers within one point at the 12:08 mark. However, the home team started to run away with the game as Bluffton never led again and Manchester took a 45-30 lead into the second half.
The second period included a host of buckets from both teams, but the Spartans outscored Bluffton, 39-32, to walk away with a 22-point victory. After two quick makes from Manchester, Stammen hit a shot of his own and Wheeler capitalized on a traditional three-point play. William Layfield (West Chester/Lakota West) dialed long distance at the 13:42 mark. Stammen threw out a nice pass to Jalen Cromwell (Pickerington) for a layup and freshman Caden Slusher (Rockford/Parkway) hit a pair of triples to close out the game, but Manchester never wavered en route to its 84-62 win.
Rogers led his unit with 17 points and he also grabbed a team and career-high seven rebounds. Wheeler was nipping at Rogers' heels with 15 tallies of his own. Layfield led the team in assists, dishing out four helpers.
Bluffton knocked down 6-of-15 (40 percent) from beyond the arc, compared to 9-for-26 (34.6 percent) from Sparty. Manchester won in the paint, scoring 40 of its points from in close, compared to 26 for the visitors.
The men finish up their season in an exciting matchup against long-time rival Defiance College, on Friday, Feb. 17. The start of the game is set for approximately 8 p.m. as the Beavers look to send Coach Neal into retirement with a huge victory over the Yellow Jackets!
-BEAVERS-