MEN'S BASKETBALL
SATURDAY - The Bluffton University men's basketball team traveled to Mount St. Joseph on Saturday, Feb. 6, with an unblemished record to take on the Lions who had yet to garner their first win. The script was flipped at MSJ as the Beavers saw their 10-game winning streak come to a screeching halt. The Mount defense was up the task in a 58-37 shutdown of the Beavers who now stand 10-1, while MSJ improved to 1-9.

From start to finish the Lions controlled the tempo and almost every facet of the game. Mount jumped out to a quick 15-2 lead less than six minutes into the game. At the 12:30 mark in the first half, freshman Michael Stammen (Versailles) connected on a three to pull the Beavers within 10 before junior Jameel Cosby (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) got his first points of the day with a layup.

Dezman Brown (Elyria) dialed in from beyond the arc thanks to a nice feed from fellow senior Aaron Rich (Greenville). With just over a minute left in the half, sophomore AJ Kenney (Marion/River Valley) scored on a layup to make the score 27-18 in favor of the Lions heading into the break.

Two minutes into the second half, Cosby grabbed a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast with it for two. His basket cut it to seven, which would be the closest they came to the Lions in the second stanza as The Mount would go on a 19-0 run which ended up being the nail in the coffin. MSJ closed out its first victory of the season with a convincing 58-37 final.

Cosby led the Beavers with 12 markers followed up by Kenney with six. Ryan Rose (Tipp City/Bethel) and Stamman added five apiece. While much of the game was sour, a bright spot for the Beavers was that they won the rebounding battle (36-25) as Rich pulled down a team-high five boards.

The men struggled as they hit just 16-of-48 (33 percent) from the field and only 3-of-14 (21.4 percent) from distance. In direct opposition to the Beavers, the Lions shot 50 percent (23-of-46) from the field and 38.1 percent (8-of-21) from three-point range.

The men return to action next Friday, Feb. 12, at Anderson University with tip-off slated for 6:15 p.m.

FRIDAY - The Bluffton University men welcomed Mount St. Joseph on Friday, Feb. 5, for a matchup with the Lions. The Beavers held on for a 57-52 win, keeping the home team undefeated with a 10-0 mark to start the season.

Bluffton jumped out to the quick lead when senior point guard Ronnie James (Benedictine/Cleveland) got into the paint for an easy deuce. James made a serious difference in the first half, scoring nine points while shooting 50 percent from the field. While his offense was key for the Beavers, his defense was just as critical, frustrating the opposing guards as he drew a big charge midway through the opening stanza.

Standout backcourt mates Dezman Brown (Elyria) and Jameel Cosby (Kenton Ridge/Springfield) were their normal selves during the first 20 minutes. Brown scored 10 on a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, including two treys from deep. Cosby showed his dual threat ability, scoring six points and skying for five boards. The men held a slim 27-26 lead at the half squad lead over the Lions 27-26 at the half despite being outscored 12-2 over the last five minutes of half number one.

In the second, Brown and Cosby stayed right on pace for the Beavers. Brown added another eight, missing just one shot for the entire game. Cosby matched his first half scoring total with another half-dozen points while ripping down an impressive seven rebounds. Aaron Rich (Greenville), who was quiet in the first half, got warmed up in the second, scoring six points in the paint and he added seven boards. The Beavers held firm, drawing a charge with 42 seconds remaining in a three-point game. Brown's jumper with 15 ticks remaining sealed the 57-52 defensive battle.

The double-digit scorers for the Beavers were Brown (18), James (career-high 13), and Cosby (12). Cosby fashioned his second career double-double with a team-high 12 boards! Senior center Rich dished out a team-high four assists.

Bluffton ripped down 10 more rebounds (33-23), but the Beavers also turned it over five more times (13-8). The Beavers were solid from the field (25-of-49) at 51.0 percent, and they lit it up (7-of-13) for 53.8 percent from distance. MSJ took the bench points by a 12-3 margin.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
FRIDAY - The Bluffton University women traveled to Cincinnati on Friday, Feb. 5 to face off with the Mount St. Joseph Lions. The Beavers made a valiant comeback after trailing 51-41 in the fourth quarter, but they fell to the Lions (72-69) in overtime. It snapped a six-game winning streak for Bluffton, but the Beavers stand 12-2 on the season, while MSJ improved to 2-1.

The Beavers stayed close in the first, trailing by three (18-15) at end of the opening stanza. Emma Saltzman (Arcadia) paced the visitors, scoring seven points and grabbing two boards. Senior guard Kylie Brock (Villa Heights, Ky./Dixie Heights) added a triple for the Beavers in the first period.

Freshman Angel Schneider (Columbus Grove) tallied four points for the visitors in the second quarter. Peyton Henry (Leipsic), Brianna Gillig (New Riegel) and Saltzman all added two points as the Beavers trailed 32-25 at the half.

In the third, Gillig got it going with four points and two rebounds. Sophomore sharpshooter Sammy Shardo (Liberty-Benton/Findlay) was perfect in the third, knocking down a three-pointer. In the fourth the Beavers trailed by 10 and were still down four with 1:23 to play, but Saltzman hit a pair of freebies and Gillig tied it with four seconds remaining to send it to overtime! Gillig had a strong fourth quarter with nine points. Frontcourt partner Saltzman added five of her own to force overtime.

When Gillig hit the second of two free throws just 24 seconds into overtime, the junior saw career-point 1,000 drop through the net! She and Shardo combined for seven points, but it was not enough as the Lions drilled two trifectas in the final 1:34 to seal their 72-69 victory.

The double-digit scorers for the Beavers were Gillig with (21) and Saltzman with (14). Saltzman had a career-high 12 rebounds for her second double double and she also doled out a team-high four assists. Shardo and Brock just missed double figures with nine points apiece.

The Beavers shot 33.3 (24-of-72) from the field, compared to the Lions 38 percent (27-of-71). Both teams struggled from outside the arc as Bluffton went 8-of-34 (23.5 percent) and the Lions were 10-for-34 (29.4 percent). Bluffton ripped down 10 more rebounds (52-42), but the Beavers also coughed it up 26 times, five more miscues than the Lions. MSJ dominated with 30 points off turnovers and 21 fast break points.

SATURDAY -  It was Senior Day at Sommer Center for the Bluffton University women on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021. While there may have been no fans in the stands, the four seniors, consisting of Kylie Brock (Villa Hills, Ky./Dixie Heights), Claire Myree (Cincinnati/Lakota West), Nora Hemminger (McComb) and Abbie Parkins (Bluffton) were recognized and celebrated for all of the hard work, sacrifices and dedication they have put into their four years of playing college basketball. All four seniors led the Beavers out on the floor to start the game, along with junior Brianna Gillig (New Riegel), following a presentation that included messages to each senior written by their parents.

The Beavers looked to avenge their overtime loss last evening against Mount St. Joseph, but they fell short again in a hard fought battle against their foes from Cincinnati. As the final buzzer sounded, the Lions prevailed 61-55.

Bluffton struggled finding a rhythm to start as it took over two minutes to tally their first points thanks to a pair of made free throws by Gillig who scored career point 1,000 at MSJ on Friday night. She put up the first six points for Bluffton in the opening stanza. Angel Schneider (Columbus Grove) scored on a layup from Emma Saltzman (Arcadia). Freshman Taylor Malson checked into the game and immediately drilled a three-pointer with just under a minute to play, but the visitors still led 18-11 after 10 minutes of action.

The second quarter was a much different story for the Beavers as they came out hot and outscored the Lions 20-15. Junior Sammy Shardo (Findlay/Liberty Benton) dialed in one of her three triples on the day just a minute into the period, thanks to a dish from Malson. With a little over a minute remaining in the quarter, Parkins and Shardo found a rhythm with each other as Shardo connected on back-to-back three pointers on kick outs from Parkins. Heading into halftime the Beavers trailed by just two (33-31).

Gillig evened up the score with two made free throws just eight seconds into the second half. The two teams would go on to trade baskets until Mount opened an eight-point lead with five minutes left in the quarter. But the Beavers would not give in as they rallied with baskets by Parkins, Saltzman and Maddie Fitzpatrick (Mount Gilead). Heading into the final quarter the Beavers trailed by just four (48-44) in spite of four missed free throws late in the third.

The Lions came out firing on all cylinders in the fourth stanza, and thanks to a couple of costly turnovers from the Beavers, the visitors saw their cushion balloon to 13 points midway through the quarter. To their credit, the Beavers would not back down as Fitzpatrick connected on a trey with just under three minutes left to pull the home team within 10. Mount St. Joseph went scoreless during the last three minutes of the game, but it was too little, too late for the Beavers who made the final score 61-55 when Brock's corner triple just beat the buzzer.

The Beavers fell to 12-3 on the season as they dropped both games this weekend. Bluffton struggled from the field, shooting just 33.3 percent (19-of-57), compared to 44 percent and a blistering 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from distance for the Lions.

The Beavers dominated the rebounding battle (44-26) as Gillig hauled in a game-high 10 boards. She notched 21 points on the day, followed by Shardo with 11 and Fitzpatrick with eight. Saltzman blocked three shots and handed out a career-high seven dimes!

Bluffton will be back in action next Friday, Feb. 12 when Anderson University comes to town. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. in the Sommer Center.