November 29, 2017
By: Colton Steiner, sports information assistant
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Bluffton University men's basketball team cut a 16-point second half deficit to a deuce before Kalamazoo closed out the game with four late points for a 73-67 victory on Wednesday, Nov. 29. Bluffton fell to 1-3 overall, while Kalamazoo moved to 1-4 with its first win of the season.
Still trailing by 14 (53-39) with less than nine minutes to play, Bluffton turned it around following a rare four-point play by senior Kevin Christie (Miamisburg/Bishop Fenwick)! Andrew Hunter (Arlington) and Andrew Renner (Lima/Bath) dialed long distance and Jared Wentling (Carey) hit from in close, making it a six-point game at the 5:41 mark. Freshman Dezman Brown (Elyria) and sophomore Isaiah Taylor (Yellow Springs) joined in the fun before triples by Christie and Wentling made the score 69-67 with 13 ticks remaining. A pair of Kalamazoo charity tosses and a Bluffton turnover sealed it as the Hornets closed out the 73-67 victory.
Christie nearly topped his eight-day-old career high of 26 points, set last Tuesday night against Ohio Midwestern, with a game-high 25 markers on 7-of-11 from the field, including a blistering 4-of-6 from distance and 7-for-7 at the stripe! He also handed out four dimes for the Beavers. Andrew Renner lit it up from outside the arc as well, knocking down 3-of-6 for 13 points while ripping down a team-best eight caroms. Junior Jared Wentling and Isaiah Taylor chipped in with nine and seven points, respectively.
The visitors connected on 22-of-49 from the field (44.9 percent), including a red-hot 10-of-22 (45.5 percent) from deep. Bluffton pulled down 10 more boards (34-24), but the Beavers coughed it up seven more times (21-14).
The Beavers kick off Heartland Conference action on Saturday, Dec. 2, when Bluffton welcomes Transylvania for a 4 p.m. showdown with the Pioneers. Come out to the Sommer Center and cheer on your Beavers!
-BEAVERS-
