January 21, 2017
FRANKLIN, Ind. - A Trey Elchert (Jackson Center) deuce with six tenths of a second remaining handed the Bluffton University men's basketball team its second straight victory over Franklin College on Saturday, Jan. 21. Bluffton improved to 10-6 overall and 3-6 in the Heartland Conference, while Franklin fell to 4-12 and 1-8 in the HCAC.
A pair of Isaiah Taylor (Yellow Springs) free throws followed by an Andrew Hunter (Arlington) bucket had the Beavers up 10 (59-49) with 12:30 to play before the home team rolled off six straight markers to trim the deficit to four at the 10:56 mark. With Jared Wentling (Carey) and Austin Rohde (Shelby) lighting up the scoreboard, the visitors still led by six (74-68) with just under five minutes to play.
The Grizzlies would not go away as the home team used an 11-2 spurt to take a 79-76 led with 2:30 on the clock. Rohde drained a pair from the stripe and then got to the rack, putting Bluffton up 84-83 with 40 seconds remaining. Brett McCory split his free throw attempts for Franklin setting the stage for Elchert's game winner at the buzzer!
Austin Rohde and Jared Wentling combined to torch the Grizzlies with 53 points! Rohde was 11-of-19 for 29 points and Wentling finished with 24 on 10-of-17 from the field. Junior Kevin Christie (Miamisburg/Bishop Fenwick) knocked down three triples en route to a dozen markers. Taylor chipped in with five points and six boards.
The Beavers were 31-of-70 from the field (44.3 percent), but they knocked down 7-for-20 (35 percent) from distance, compared to just 3-of-8 for the Grizzlies. Both teams pulled down 40 rebounds, but Franklin coughed it up six more times (14-8). The Beavers converted just 17-of-30 (56.7 percent) at the line.
The Bluffton University men are back in the Sommer Center on Wednesday, Jan. 25, when the Beavers welcome Mount St. Joseph. Tip time is slated for 7:30 p.m. Come out and get behind the Beavers as they go for their third straight Heartland Conference victory!
-BEAVERS-
