Box Score
Mount guard Joel Scudder (Greendale, IN/South Dearborn) connected on a three-point shot from the right corner to give the Mount a two-point lead and the Lions held on to defeat Bluffton University at home, 57-55. The Mount, 17-5 overall, 12-3 in the HCAC, continue to lead both Defiance College and Anderson University by one game for the conference lead. The Lions will next play on Feb. 14 at Manchester University.
The two teams played close throughout the first half, with the game featuring three score ties and five lead changes. The Beavers led by as many as six points, 18-12, with 10:13 on the clock while the Lions held their best lead of the first half at the 19:40 mark, 3-0. Bluffton hit a three-point shot with just three seconds left before intermission, to take a 29-27 lead into the locker room. The Lions out-shot Bluffton, 50 to 44 percent from the field in the first half, with both teams converting all six of their free throw attempts, and each team grabbing 10 rebounds.
A shot jump shot by Bluffton enabled the visitors to take a 37-30 lead with 15:13 on the second half clock, but the Lions fought back to to know the score at 41-all when Femi Thompson (Cincinnati, OH/Aiken) scored on a lay-up. Thompson helped key the offense down the stretch for the Lions, putting them ahead 52-44 at the 7:12 mark. Bluffton then found the accuracy from the free throw line over the next few minutes of the game, hitting six straight free throws, the last with 2:51 to play in the game to cut the deficit to 52-50. A lay-up by Ken Kunkel (Cincinnati, OH/Colerain) gave the Lions a 54-50 advantage with 1:32 left but Bluffton hit a three-point attempt with 1:10 to play to cut the Mount lead to 54-53. Bluffton made two more free throws with 17 seconds to play, giving them a 55-54 lead, setting the stage for Scudder's last second heroics. A three-point attempt by Bluffton at buzzer was off the mark.
Thompson finished with a game-high 22 points while Scudder chipped in 10 points. Kunkel had nine points and five rebounds. The Mount out-shot Bluffton, 56 to 40 percent from the field, while both teams made 15-of-16 free throws. The Lions also held a 21-19 rebounding edge.
The Mount honored men's basketball senior players Andy Countryman (Peebles, OH/Peebles), Mark Allen (Cincinnati, OH/Northwest) and Kunkel before the game on Senior Night.
