The Bluffton University men's basketball team moved back into Heartland Conference action when it traveled to Hanover College on Wednesday, January 5, 2011. Hanover used a 10-0 run to start the game and an 8-0 spurt right before halftime to secure a 66-55 win over the Beavers. The Panthers won their eighth straight game in improving to 9-2 overall and 5-0 in the HCAC, while Bluffton fell to 8-4 and 1-4 in the conference.
A 10-0 jag right out of the gate put the Beavers on their heels less than three minutes into the game. Brent Farley (Lima/Shawnee) finally broke the ice at the 17:21 mark before fellow junior Nick Lee (Mt. Blanchard/Vanlue) snapped a three-minute scoreless streak by both teams with his first triple of the night. Freshman Will Pope (Somerville/Preble Shawnee) hauled in a Bluffton miss and put it back up and Dustin Kinn (Alvada/New Riegel) added a free throw to make the score 12-8 with 11:15 to play in the period.
Four straight points from Mychal Hill (London/Jonathan Alder) and a Pope chip shot pulled the Beavers within one, but Hanover rattled off seven straight to push their lead to 22-14. Lee answered with a jumper and triple before Farley's deuce in the paint made the score 23-21 with just 1:44 on the clock. A Bluffton miss and two miscues allowed Hanover to close on an 8-0 run which made the score 31-21 at the break.
Another slow start in the second half put the Beavers in a 15-point hole with 17:59 to play in the game. Josh Fisher (Rockford/Parkway) converted from the paint and Hill dialed long distance before Nate Heckelman's (Norwalk) fastbreak layup made it 41-28 at the 15:02 mark.
Consecutive trifectas from Mychal Hill kept the Beavers within 12 at the 12:15 mark, but Hanover answered every Bluffton score with one of its own as the home team led 52-41 following a Pope freebie with 8:26 on the clock. A 6-0 Hanover spurt ended any Bluffton hopes for a comeback as the Panthers built a 58-41 lead with 6:11 to play.
Still down by 16 with 3:28 on the clock, Bluffton rallied to make it a nine-point game following a Nick Lee long ball with 50 ticks remaining. The Panthers knocked down a pair at the charity stripe three seconds later to wrap up their 66-55 victory over the visitors.
Mychal Hill led three Beavers in double figures with 15 points on 3-of-7 shooting from outside the arc. Nick Lee checked in with 14 points on 4-of-9 from distance. Just missing a double-double was Brent Farley with 10 points, eight rebounds and two swats. Will Pope added nine markers and four boards while Nate Heckelman hauled in four rebounds as well.
Bluffton struggled to a 19-of-49 shooting night (38.8 percent), while the Panthers made 23-of-49 (46.9 percent) from the field. Both squads struggled at the line with Bluffton going 10-of-18 (55.6 percent), compared to 14-of-23 (60.9 percent) for Hanover. The Panthers posted a slim 33-31 advantage on the boards, while the Beavers turned it over one less time (12-11).
The Beavers welcome HCAC foe Rose-Hulman on Saturday, January 8, 2011. The contest in Founders Hall is slated for 3 p.m. following the women's clash with the Engineers.
