[ Statistics ]
Bluffton College senior Mike Leimeister’s 3-pointer with 28 seconds left in regulation forced overtime, but host Manchester College out-scored the Beavers 17-11 in the extra session to earn a 79-73 win in North Manchester, Indiana Wednesday night.
Bluffton led by four points at halftime and again by four points with 7:49 left to play in regulation, but an 8-0 run by Manchester soon after that gave the Spartans a four-point lead with under four minutes remaining. Leimeister, who ended the game with a team-high 20 points, scored Bluffton’s last five points in regulation, including the 3-pointer, but Manchester went 9-for-10 from the free throw line in overtime and connected on a pair of 3-pointers.
Leimeister added a game-high 12 rebounds, which ties his career-high and gives him his eighth career double-double. Senior Derek DeNero scored 17 points and senior Marcus Bixler added 10.
Bluffton falls to 8-11 overall and 2-7 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, while Manchester improves to 13-6 overall and 5-3 in the HCAC.
The Beavers connected on 8-of-16 treys in the game, including a perfect 3-for-3 in the first half and out-rebounded Manchester 35-32, but the Spartans held Bluffton to a 36.4% shooting effort in the second half to come from behind for the win. BC had been 5-2 when leading at the half and 1-0 in overtime games, but the Spartans hung on to notch their fifth win in a row, while Bluffton drops its second straight after winning two in a row.
Julian Guess led Manchester with a game-high 29 points. The Spartans sweep the season series against Bluffton, as Manchester won 71-58 in Founders Hall on Dec. 4.
Bluffton will travel to Mount St. Joseph Saturday at 3 p.m.
