Beavers fall at Manchester 67-60, Boyles leads team with 15 points
By Ben Risinger, SID
February 21, 2004
NORTH MANCHESTER, IND. – The Bluffton College men’s basketball team (10-15, 4-8 HCAC) lost 67-60 at Manchester College (17-8 11-3 HCAC) on Saturday afternoon.
The Beavers (No. 6 seed) will play their first round Heartland Conference tournament game at Franklin College next Tuesday at 7:30 pm.
Bluffton got off to a slow start in the game as Manchester led 15-3 with 12:57 left in the first half. The Beavers would come score nine unanswered points to tighten the lead to 15-12 at the 7:12 mark. Bluffton tied the game at 19-19 (3:54), but would be down by five, 29-24 going into halftime.
In the second half Bluffton would pull the score within three points two times as the score would never eclipse ten points. The Beavers improved on their shooting from the field to 38 percent, compared to 33 percent in the first half.
Leading Bluffton was senior Brad Boyles (Berne, Ind./South Adams) with 15 points for the contest. Sophomore Eric Sweet (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf) finished the double digits with 13 points. Sophomore Simeon Talley (Columbus/Centennial) posted a team high seven rebounds.
Bluffton shot 36 percent for the game, with Manchester shooting 41 percent from the floor. The Beavers led the rebounding battle with 38 boards to the Spartans 34.
