The Bluffton University men's basketball team won a nail-biter in a double-overtime thriller on the road against the Earlham College Quakers, 82-80, on Wednesday, Dec. 5. Four Beavers notched double digits in the victory. Junior Andrew Renner (Cairo/Bath) hit a shot with two seconds on the clock in the second overtime which propelled the Beavers to victory. Bluffton improved to 5-2 and 1-1 in the Heartland Conference. Earlham fell to 1-6 and 0-2 in the HCAC.’

With the Beavers leading 37-35 at the half, they were in position to make a run in the second considering their sluggish start to the game. Early in the first stanza, Bluffton fell behind 7-0 when Earlham hit a layup with 15:33 left in the half. The Quakers extended their lead to 20-5 with 12:36 remaining in the stanza. The Beavers responded and tied it up at 20-20 when Dezman Brown (Elyria) hit a layup with 8:26 left in the period. It was a neck-and-neck game throughout, but the Beavers ultimately prevailed in two overtimes giving Bluffton its first conference win of the season.

Early on in the first half the Beavers faced a massive deficit when they fell behind 20-5. But they never gave in, scratching and clawing back to take the lead on a Renner jumper that made the score 26-25 with 5:30 left in the first half.

Renner tied his career high with 32 points on 12-of-25 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 behind the arc. He also pulled down five rebounds for the Beavers. Freshman Jameel Cosby (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) netted 13 of his own and he also dished out a game-high four assists. Brown netted 10 on the night, whille pulling down six caroms. Senior Justis Dowdy (Van Wert/Lincolnview) also chipped in with 10 markers and six rebounds.

The Beavers will be back in action on Saturday, Dec. 8, when they host the Hanover College Panthers in an HCAC battle. The game will tip at approximately 3 p.m. after the women's contest. Come out and support your Beavers as they are home for the first of back-to-back Saturday doubleheaders in the Sommer Center.