The Bluffton University men's basketball team played host to Heartland Conference rival Defiance College on Wednesday, Feb. 19, in the last regular season 2019-20 game at the Sommer Center.

Bluffton rolled to a 68-52 win, improving to 15-9 (11-6 HCAC) on the strength of a school-record seventh consecutive HCAC victory. Defiance fell to 11-13 and 6-11 in the conference. The Beavers will be a top four seed when the tournament field is set following Saturday's games.

Defiance jumped out to a 7-2 lead when Marell Jordan knocked down a three with 16:50 on the clock in the first half. But, the Beavers would come back and notch it at 14 apiece when Andrew Renner (Cairo/Bath) split a pair of free throws. The home team kept firing, taking their first lead when Isaiah Taylor (Yellow Springs) dropped a deuce to make it 16-14 in favor of the good guys. After a bevy of lead changes during the first 20 minutes, Bluffton would finally take control as the Beavers opened a 37-27 lead at the break.

Bluffton kept its feet on the gas in the second half, stretching the lead to 15 when Taylor hit from in close to make it 44-29 with 17:30 to play. The home squad continued to pour it on, gashing the Jackets for their largest lead of the game when Renner knocked down a jumper which made it 60-42. Bluffton capped the season sweep with a 68-52 stomping of "that other purple school up north."

Renner led all scorers with 17 points on a very efficient 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point land. He also pulled down four rebounds in the victory. Dezman Brown (Elyria) netted 16 of his own on 8-of-11 from the field and he also had a game-high four takeaways for the Beavers. Taylor and Jameel Cosby (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) combined for 24 points on 9-of-21 from the field. Taylor pulled down a game-high six rebounds for the home squad.

Bluffton hit 26-of-52 (50 percent) from the field, including 2-of-8 (25 percent) from distance. The visitors coughed the ball up 15 times, compared to just nine miscues for the home squad. Defiance pulled down 31 reboounds, three more than the victors.

The Beavers will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 22, when they travel to Transylvania University for their their final regular season game of the year. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. following the conclusion of the women's contest.

Women also win

The Bluffton University women's basketball team welcomed Heartland Conference rival Defiance College to Copeland Court on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020. The Beavers picked up a huge 75-67 victory over the Yellow Jackets. Bluffton improved their mark to 13-11 (7-10 HCAC), while Defiance fell to 7-17 (6-11 HCAC). The victory over Defiance propelled Bluffton into fourth place in the conference, one game in front of a five-way logjam for places five through nine with just one game to play. The top six teams will advance to the Heartland Conference tournament next week.

Defiance controlled the tip but a steal from Nora Hemminger (McComb) and two quick buckets from senior Dj Keesey (Cadiz/Harrison Central) and Brianna Gillig (New Riegel) gave Bluffton an early 4-0 lead. Two Yellow Jacket triples put Defiance on top, 8-4, but a Gillig trifecta and layup along with a jumper from Abbie Parkins (Bluffton) pushed the home team up by three (11-8). Sammy Shardo (Findlay/Liberty-Benton) hit a deep bomb followed by an Emma Saltzman (Arcadia) deuce which pushed Bluffton's lead to 11 (21-10). A Gillig tip-in had the Beavers up 23-10 at the end of one.

The visitors netted the first bucket of the second quarter but Kylie Brock (Villa Hills, KY/Dixie Heights) hit a three to make the score 26-12. A Hemminger putback and a Tj Mills (Dayton/Chaminade-Julienne) three-pointer had the Beavers up 16 (33-17) with 4:05 to play in the half. An 8-0 run for the Yellow Jackets pulled them within seven (34-27) before two trifectas from Mills and Brock had the Beavers up 40-30 at the half.

Two Gillig freebies and a layup made the score 44-33 in favor of Bluffton. Four Mills charity shots pushed the home team cushion to 14 (50-36) with 4:31 left in the third. Shardo drained a three to make the score 53-39, but a 7-2 run for Defiance made it an eight-point (57-49) game. Hemminger netted a deep shot at the buzzer to put the Beavers up 60-49 going into the final stanza.

Defiance bucketed the first two shots of the fourth to pull within seven (60-53), but Parkins answered back with a laser triple to make the score 63-53. The Yellow Jackets pulled within three (65-62) with 4:29 left in regulation. Two Mills charity shots and a Brock deuce in the paint pushed the Beaver lead back to seven (71-64). Three Hemminger freebies secured the 75-67 victory for the home team.

Gillig led the Beavers with 20 points and 12 rebounds for her 9th career double-double. Hemminger was close behind with 15 markers and six boards. She added three steals and three assists for the victors. Mills and Brock chipped in 12 and nine points, respectively. Saltzman pulled down five rebounds in the victory.

Bluffton netted 24-of-58 (41.4 percent) from the field and 9-of-27 (33.3 percent) from deep, compared to Defiance's 23-of-48 (47.9 percent) and 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) from distance. The Beavers connected on 18-of-23 (78.3 percent) from the stripe with the Yellow Jackets hitting 14-of-19 (73.7 percent). The home team pulled down five more rebounds (35-30) and turned the ball over a miniscule three times. The Beavers also picked up seven steals.

The women are back in action on Saturday, Feb. 22, when they travel to Transylvania University for their final regular season game. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 4 p.m.