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Bluffton College senior Mike Leimeister poured in a game-high 30 points but it wasn’t enough as the Beavers fell at Franklin College Wednesday night, 87-68.
It was Leimeister’s 11th career 30-point game and he added 10 rebounds to collect his 9th career double-double.
Both teams needed the win to stay in the hunt to host a first-round Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament game on Feb. 25, but it was the host Grizzlies that came out on top to improve to 9-13 overall and 5-6 in the HCAC, while Bluffton falls to 10-12 overall and 4-8 in the HCAC.
In the first half Franklin shot over 58% from the floor and was 14-for-14 from the free throw line en route to a 49-36 halftime lead, and the Grizzlies, who earlier this season handed 12th ranked Hanover its only loss of the season, kept their hot shooting alive in the second half by hitting 50% of their shots from the field and going 12-for-14 from the line.
Bluffton ended the game just 1-for-16 from 3-point range, which although did extend its streak of consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 264 in a row, didn’t prove to be enough to cut into Franklin’s lead in the second half as the Grizzlies swept the season series against the Beavers. Bluffton’s one made trey and 6% effort from beyond the arc marked new season-lows.
Going cold from trey land was something Bluffton hadn’t had happen to them in over a month. In their previous eight games heading into Wednesday night the Beavers had connected on 68-of-134 three-point attempts for a 50.8% efficiency and owned a league-best 39.6% shooting clip from 3-point range for the season.
Four Franklin players hit for double-figures, led by Scott Study with 23 points and Nick Scott with 20.
Bluffton turned the ball over just 11 times in the game, but Franklin committed just 10 giveaways.
Freshman Eric Sweet also hit for double-figures for Bluffton, finishing with 13 points.
Bluffton will return to action Saturday at home against Transylvania University at 3 p.m. The annual alumni game will tip-off at 1 p.m.
