KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Bluffton University men's basketball team won a back-and-forth game at Kalamazoo College 72-67 for its first victory of the season. The contest, which included a staggering 22 lead changes, saw the visitors move to 1-3, while Kalamazoo dipped to 1-4 on the season.
Four points from Nevin Robson (Kenton/Hardin Northern) and a JD Stokes (West Harrison, Ind./Franklin County) put the Beavers up 6-3 at the 15:29 mark of the first half. Brendan Williams (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka) entered the fray with 13:25 on the clock and he wreaked havoc on the Hornets, unleashing nine points in three minutes as Bluffton opened a 15-11 advantage midway through the first half.
An old-fashioned three-point play from Justice Thompson (Ashland/Crestview) and another Williams bucket had the visitors on top by a 24-23 count with 4:40 on the clock. Although the Beavers trailed 29-24 with less than three minutes to play in the opening stanza, a 9-3 spurt put Bluffton up 33-32 at the break. Matt Ray (Indianapolis, Ind./Herron) converted a hoop and harm before Robson sandwiched a pair of deuces around a Thompson steal at the one-minure mark.
Carson Clum (Harrod/Allen East) and Williams drained back-to-back trifectas, propeling Bluffton to a 39-32 lead just over a minute into the second frame. Robson drilled a pair of triples and Ian Snelling (Erlanger, Ky./Dixie Heights) followed with one of his own en route to a 48-43 spread. Andre Irvin (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) dialed long distance and then he did it the old-fashioned way for a quick six that gave the visitors a seemingly comfortable 54-46 lead.
Kalamazoo came all the way back and led 56-55 before another Snelling bomb put the Beavers up 58-56 with 8:30 to play. Irvin drained a three and then dropped in a pair of freebies for a 63-57 lead at the 6:48 mark. He pushed the lead to eight with a layin and then 7-of-8 shooting at the charity stripe down the stretch made the final score 72-67 in favor of the Beavers.
Robson put together his 6th double-double with 19 points and 12 boards. He added three steals and three assists. Irvin chipped in with 17 markers, six rebounds and three steals. Williams equaled his career high with 14 points on a red-hot 6-of-9 shooting performance, incluiding 2-for-3 from distance. Clum led the Beavers with four steals and he doled out three assists.
Bluffton hit 22-of-63 from the field (34.9 percent), including 9-of-32 (28.1 percent) from deep. The Beavers were an efficient 19-of-24 (79.2 percent) at the line. The visitors pulled down six more rebounds (39-33) and they forced the Hornets into eight more miscues (26-18).
The Beavers will be back on the road next Tuesday, Nov. 25, when they take on Kenyon College in Gambier. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
-BEAVERS-