Men's bball: Beavers on a win streak
The Bluffton University men's basketball team was back in action for the second straight night in the McDonald's Holiday Tournament title game. The Beavers knocked off a talented Albion College squad that was under the direction of former Coach Neal assistant Jody May, 73-63, on Saturday, Dec. 29.
Bluffton's first points of the night came on a Dezman Brown (Elyria) layup with 18:25 in the first stanza that tied the game at two apiece. The Beavers scratched and clawed the rest of the way and pulled out a very impressive victory over a Britons unit that squashed Grove City, 94-53, on Friday afternoon.
With 10:26 remaining in the first half, an Andrew Renner (Cairo/Bath) three put the Beavers up 21-15 mid-way through the opening stanza. The visitors responded with a 20-6 jag over the final eight minutes of the half for a 37-32 lead at the break.
Brown was on fire from behind the arc and he stepped up while his teammates were saddled with foul trouble throughout much of the game. His triple with 16:53 left in the second half put Bluffton up 42-39 and the home team never looked back. The Beavers led by as many as 14 points en route to their 73-63 victory.
McDonald's Tournament MVP Andrew Renner led the way with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc. He also pulled down six rebounds. Brown added in 21 of his own on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, and he was a blistering 5-of-7 from behind the arc on the way to All-Tournament honors. Jameel Cosby (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) and Aaron Rich (Greenville) bucketed 11 and nine points, respectively.
Bluffton hit 27-of-55 from the field for 49.1 percent, but the three-point line was the difference as the Beavers were a red-hot 9-of-20 for 45 percent, compared to just 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) for the visitors. Both teams coughed it up just 10 times and they were also on the same wavelength with 30 boards apiece.
The Beavers will be back in action on Wednesday, Jan. 2, when they play host to the Mount St. Joseph Lions in an HCAC matchup. The game will tip at 7:30 p.m. in the Sommer Center.
Stories Posted This Week
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Saturday, May 3, 2025
- Pirate baseball win vs. Tigers
- Bluffton softball edged in battle of Pirates
- Committee meetings scheduled for Bluffton Council
- #1 recommended attraction in NW Ohio is in Ada
- Mental Health Awareness event with Seth Gehle
- Ohio highway patrol promoting motorcycle safety
- Recap of Bluffton Board of Education meeting for April 2025
- Weekend Doctor: Antidepressants in the long term
Friday, May 2, 2025
- BHS seniors exhibit art at Gallery 323 through May 7
- What's in your weekend?
- Pirate softball blanked by Lancers
- Pirate baseball blanked by Lincolnview
- Laman Promoted to VP Retail Credit Manager by CNB
- Local land conservancy hires first Executive Director
- Steiner to present Swiss Family Migration program on May 21
- 850 Days of Caring volunteers will pitch in for Hancock County
Thursday, May 1, 2025
- Angel M. Langhals owned LFE/API Meters
- Allen Co. task force targets target sex and human traffickers
- Blessing of the Bikes, May 4
- Metzger honored at 2025 Black Swamp Council meeting
- Volunteer invitation for Bluffton Pathway Count in May
- Pirate tennis edges Ottawa-Glandorf
- Bluffton EMS station staffing goes 24/7 on May 1
- You are what you eat: Link to immune system
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
- Observation deck added to Motter Park cascading pools project
- Bluffton Women in Business meet May 15
- Four sportsmen stock 200 trout at Buckeye Lake
- Pirate girls, boys 2nd at Minster track quad
- Pirate baseball win vs. Riverdale
- Pirate softball loss vs. Riverdale
- Field reports from NW Ohio wildlife officers