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Three Bluffton players scored 15 or more points and the Beavers shot 54.3% from the field, but host Thomas More College handed BC an 89-75 loss Wednesday night in Crestview Hill, Ky.
Thomas More went to the free throw line 40 times in the game, converting on 32 of those free chances, and shot 56.3% from the field to hand Bluffton (6-9 overall) their third loss in a row after winning four straight prior to that. It marked just the second time this season Bluffton has allowed their opponent to shoot over 50% from the field and BC was whistled for a season-high 26 personal fouls.
Seniors Mike Leimeister and Derek DeNero combined for 28 points in the first half but were held to a combined total of eight points in the second half. They both ended with a game-high 18 points, while junior Brad Boyles came off the bench to score 15 points, with 10 of those coming in the second half.
Leimeister and freshman Eric Sweet both grabbed a game-high seven rebounds and senior Marcus Bixler dished out a game-high five assists and added seven points. Freshman Scott Bergman chipped in eight points.
Bluffton scored the first eight points of the game for the second game in a row, but Thomas More scored the game’s next 11 points to take the lead. In a back-and-forth first half, the score was either tied or changed leads 25 times before TMC took a 42-41 lead at halftime.
The Saints led for most of the second half but Bluffton came back to take a brief one-point lead at 59-58 with 9:51 remaining. TMC then went on an 8-0 run to regain the lead and later a 9-3 run put the Saints up by 13 points with 1:29 to go.
Not one Thomas More player was averaging in double-figures going into the game, but five Saints all scored in double-figures Wednesday night as TMC snapped a four-game losing skid to improve to 3-9 on the season.
These two teams will meet again in Bluffton on February 22 in the final game of the regular season. The Beavers will return to Kentucky Saturday to end a three-game road trip at Transylvania University.
