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Setting the scene
On Saturday the Beavers will be looking to pick up their first HCAC win of the year and at the same time avenge a 66-55 loss to the Lions on December 8 in Cincinnati. MSJ will be looking for a win to stay in the hunt to host a first round HCAC tournament game. A special welcome is extended to the BC alumni basketball squad which returns today for their annual game.
The series
Mount St. Joseph leads the all-time series 7-0, which dates back to the 1998-99 season.
The coaches
Bluffton is led by 13th-year head coach Guy Neal, who ranks fourth on the BC all-time wins list with 132 victories. Mount St. Joseph is led by 4th-year head coach Larry Cox. Cox helped start the men’s basketball program at MSJ four years ago and has a record of 51-43. Coach Cox started his coaching career at Thomas More College were he guided TMC to four straight winning seasons, after the Saints had not had a winning season in a decade.
Season records
Bluffton reached the .500 mark in late December with a 6-6 overall record, but the Beavers have seen their record slip to 7-12 overall and 0-9 in the HCAC. Mount St. Joseph is now 7-11 overall and 5-4 in the HCAC. The Lions are currently tied for fourth in the HCAC with Anderson (see conference standings on back page).
Last game
Bluffton is coming off a 99-93 loss to HCAC co-leader Manchester on Wednesday night. Bluffton led for the middle 20 minutes of the game, but a strong Spartan squad took the lead for good in the final four minutes to take home the victory. The Beavers built their largest lead of the night at 11 points in the first half, but MC trailed by just one point at halftime, 44-43. Manchester took the lead at 81-80 with 4:06 left to play and didn’t give up the lead the rest of the way. Junior Mike Leimeister led Bluffton with 22 points and a game high 11 rebounds for his second career double-double. Junior Derek DeNero added 20 points for BC, while sophomore Michael Kingsley scored 18 points and senior Rod Overmyer added 13. Freshman Gabe Denning chipped in 11.
Mont St. Joseph had won their last three conference games before falling to Franklin Wednesday night 83-72.
BC vs. MSJ earlier this season
Mount St. Joseph took a 66-55 win over Bluffton in Cincinnati on December 8. There were nine ties or lead changes in the first 10 minutes of the game, but a 17-4 run by the Lions in the final four minutes of the half gave MSJ a 38-21 lead at halftime. Mount St. Joseph forced 21 BC turnovers and held the Beavers to just 4-of-15 from three-point territory in the game. Rod Overmyer led Bluffton with 13 points, while both Joe Toney and Matt Volkerding led MSJ with 16 each. BC sophomore Aaron Markley scored his career high against MSJ with eight points.
Experience edge goes to Lions
Bluffton said goodbye to seven of their top nine scorers from last season’s 16-9 squad, which finished 6-6 in the HCAC. The Mount, meanwhile, graduated first team All-HCAC selection Jared Franz but return four seniors that ranked among the squads top seven scorers last season.
Bluffton leaders
Bluffton’s three-man scoring punch includes senior Rod Overmyer and juniors Derek DeNero and Mike Leimeister. These three players ranks 1-4-5 in the HCAC in scoring and are among the league leaders in many other categories, as well. Overmyer, a first team All-HCAC selection last season, is averaging a HCAC-best 17.6 points per game and he leads the league with 49 3-pointers. DeNero (15.4 ppg) ranks second in rebounding (7.2 rpg), 6th in steals (1.6 spg) and 6th in free throw shooting (82.7%). Leimeister ranks 3rd in field goal shooting (57.7%), 4th in free throw shooting (84.0%) and 6th in rebounding (6.2 rpg).
Add to that scoring punch the emergence of sophomore Michael Kingsley, who joined the team on January 7 and has averaged 14.7 points in the last three games. Junior Marcus Bixler continues to be the man distributing the scoring, as he ranks 1st in the HCAC in assists (5.5 apg).
MSJ leaders
This season the Lions are led by four seniors, including 6-5 forward Steve Bain, who is leading MSJ in scoring, rebounding, and assists (11.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 30 assists). An honorable mention All-HCAC selection last season, he is also shooting a blistering 56.6% from the field, which ranks 4th in the HCAC, as does his rebounding total. He was named the HCAC Player of the Week on Jan. 20. Senior guard Jarett Young is averaging 10.6 ppg and is shooting 47% from three point range. Guard Joe Toney is averaging 9.0 ppg and 3.4 rpg.
Statistical matchups
Bluffton ranks second in the HCAC in free throw shooting (74.8%) and third in rebounding margin (+2.2). If the Beavers sustain that advantage on the boards, it’ll be Bluffton’s best rebounding margin since the 1997-98 season when BC posted a +0.9 edge on the boards.
Mount St. Joseph ranks third in the HCAC in both steals (7.7 spg) and scoring defense (71.4 ppg), and that defense held BC to a season-low 39 field goal attempts when these two teams met on December 8. The Lions also rank 4th in the HCAC in turnover margin (+1.3).
3-point streak continues
Bluffton has made at least one 3-point field goal in 235 consecutive games. The last time BC didn’t make a 3-pointer was Jan. 6, 1993 when BC was 0-1 from behind the arc against Adrian.
Overmyer moving up
One of the big reasons for the longevity of the 3-point streak is senior Rod Overmyer, who ranks fourth on the BC career 3-pointers list with 160. He is one trey behind #3 Jeremy Best, who hit 161 3-pointers from 1993-96 (see 3-point list on page 3).
Overmyer, DeNero history vs. MSJ
Bluffton senior Rod Overmyer and junior Derek DeNero have both faced the Lions five times in their careers. Overmyer has averaged 10.2 points and has hit nine 3-pointers against The Mount, while DeNero has hit for 2.8 points per contest.
Around the HCAC
Also on the HCAC schedule Saturday, Defiance hosts Hanover and Manchester hosts Transylvania. In non-conference games, Anderson hosts Thomas More and Franklin hosts IU-Northwest.
