The Bluffton University men's basketball team capped off a successful start to the 2020-21 season with a 3-0 mark. An Adrian College squad that won the MIAA conference tournament in 2019-20 was a handful, but the Beavers prevailed in a pair of nail-biters before pulling away 68-52 on Saturday, Dec. 12.
A slow start in the season opener back on November 20 saw the Beavers go seven scoreless minutes to start the game as Adrian built a 33-22 lead at the half. Playing without talented guards Dezman Brown (Elyria) and Jameel Cosby (Springfield/Kenton Ridge), Bluffton went to senior post Aaron Rich (Greenville) who got it done with 15 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.
At the 12-minute mark the home team fought back and took the lead thanks to a Rich deuce. Halfway through the second stanza Bluffton had all of the momentum and opened up a 48-40 lead on the strength of a Mike Ketner (Minster) corner three thanks to a dime from freshman Damian Davis (Bexley). After Adrian pulled within a point, the game was hanging in the balance with just 26 ticks remaining. The Bulldogs had the ball with 11 seconds to play and a chance to win, but Marcus Bruns (Coldwater) drew a big charge that helped seal the game despite three Bluffton turnovers in the last minute.
Chad Frey (Lima/Bath) and Davis followed up with 10 points apiece, while Ketner added eight markers. Bruns ripped down a career-best eight boards to go along with his career-high six points.
Brown was the hero on Friday, Dec. 11, when he calmly drilled a 30-footer with 17 seconds remaining, putting Bluffton up 72-70! He hit 2-of-7 from distance for 13 points against the Bulldogs in his first game back. It was a total team effort as Bluffton placed five in double figures, led by 17 points from Cosby who knocked down 4-of-6 from outside the arc.
A 10-point spurt by Ketner in the final six minutes of the first half propelled Bluffton to a 49-37 lead over Adrian at the break. Bluffton still led by 10 points with seven minutes to play before a five-minute dry spell allowed Adrian to go ahead 70-69 with 45 seconds remaining, setting the stage for Brown's beauty!
Although Adrian was a red-hot 59.2 percent (29-of-49) from the field, the Beavers made up for that by turning it over just four times while also posting a 15-2 edge on the offensive glass which led to a commanding 21-2 advantage in second half points.
The final installment of Bluffton hosting Adrian saw yet another lineup for the Beavers. The home team was red hot in the first half, scorching the nets with 51.7 percent shooting from the field and 40.7 from behind the arc. Cosby paced the Beavers with nine first-half points, hitting 4-of-8 from the field.
Bluffton led 40-30 at the half before turning it over to closer Dezman Brown who came out and ripped off 13 for the Beavers in the second, going 5-for-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from the 3-point line. The Beavers pulled away for a convincing 68-52 win, capping off a 3-0 mark against the Bulldogs this fall.
The Beavers played 13 different players on Saturday with nine of them getting in the scoring column. The double-digit scorers for Bluffton were Brown (15), Cosby (11) and Caleb Bell (10). AJ Kenney (Marion/River Valley) and Cosby were co-chairs of the board with seven caroms apiece. Kenney led the victors with a career-high five dimes! His seven rebounds also established a career best.
With three games in the books, Bluffton has no fewer than five men putting up double figures. The two-headed monster of Brown and Cosby is netting 14 points apiece. Rich is scoring at a 13.0 PPG clip, while Ketner and Davis are both dropping in 10 PPG. The Beavers also have four more players averaging at least 7.0 PPG. Rich is putting up a double-double with 11.5 RPG. Bruns, Cosby, Kenney and Marcus Peaks (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial) are all pulling down 6.0 boards per game.
Brown leads the team with seven assists, while sophomore Nolan Finch (Toledo/Cardinal Stritch) has a team-best four blocks. Rich is 12-for-20 (60.0 percent) from the field with Cosby hitting 5-for-8 from deep (62.5 percent).
Check the Bluffton Athletics website over the coming weeks for an updated Heartland Conference slate.
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