BLUFFTON — Kevin Christie buried five 3-pointers without a miss, poured in a game-high 32 points and knocked down a pair of free throws to put Bluffton ahead by one with eight seconds to play on Saturday.
But Hanover’s Cam Fails, who scored a team-high 29, got a layup to fall as time expired to give the Panthers a 71-70 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference men’s basketball win.
Fails hit 6 of 9 3-pointers in 36 minutes to lead Hanover (15-4, 10-2 HCAC). Teammate Nick White scored 11.
Aaron Rich scored 13 with eight rebounds for the Beavers (8-11, 5-7) and Max Glass chipped in 10 points.
Bluffton, which has lost each three straight, will try to snap the losing streak with another HCAC home game on Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Mount St. Joseph.
OHIO NORTHERN 82
CAPITAL 60
ADA — Ryan Bruns rattled off a game-high 27 points and Ohio Northern’s defense held Capital without a double-figure scorer in Saturday’s 82-60 Ohio Athletic Conference beatdown.
Bruns racked up his 27 points efficiently shooting 9 of 14 (64.3 percent) from the field and 8 of 9 (88.9 percent) from the foul line, while adding six rebounds, three assists and four blocks.
Nate Burger added 17 points, eight rebounds and four dimes for ONU (13-6, 8-4 OAC), Brandon Waugh scored 12 and Daniel Donner chipped in 10 points.
Ganiyu Yahaya scored nine off the bench to lead the Crusaders (9-10, 5-7). Dan Auble, also off the bench, scored eight and starter Joey Weingartner added seven points.
The Polar Bears stay at home on Wednesday to play No. 25 Baldwin Wallace at 7 p.m. in OAC action.
Women’s basketball
BLUFFTON 64
HANOVER 62
BLUFFTON — Bluffton stymied Hanover to just a seven-point third quarter and rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to edge the Panthers 64-62 in Saturday’s Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play.
The Beavers, who improved to 14-5 overall and 9-3 in the HCAC, held Hanover to 0 of 5 3-point shooting in the second half and just 4 of 19 (21.1 percent) from the field after allowing 53.3 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from deep in the first half.
Kaycee Rowe’s double-double paced Bluffton as she led the team in both points (15) and rebounds (12). Macey Sheerer chipped in 11 points and Abigail O’Donnell scored 10 with two blocks.
The Panthers (12-7, 8-4) got most of their production from Alexis Nall and Maleha Motter as the duo combined for 36 points and 25 rebounds. Nall, who knocked down 10 of the team’s 20 field goals, led with 23 points and 10 boards, while Motter scored 13 with a game-high 15 rebounds.
The Beavers continue with HCAC play on the road Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against Mount St. Joseph.
CAPITAL 84
OHIO NORTHERN 76
COLUMBUS — Amy Bullimore posted her 12th double-double of the season, but Capital got hot from both the 3-point line and the foul line in serving the Polar Bears its first loss since their season opener, 84-76, in Saturday’s Ohio Athletic Conference game.
Bullimore scored a team-high 19 points with 12 rebounds, eight offensive, with three steals to lead ONU (17-2, 11-1 OAC) — which remains atop the OAC standings despite losing its first conference game of the season.
Guards Lindsey Black and Jenna Dirksen chipped in 14 and 13 points, respectively, for the Polar Bears.
The Crusaders, who improved to 10-9 overall and 6-6 in the OAC, got a game-high 26 points from Elle Folan, who shot 9 of 12 (75 percent) from the field and 7 of 10 (70 percent) from deep.
Capital shot 10 of 16 (62.5 percent) from 3-point range as a team and a near-perfect 20 of 22 (90.9 percent) from the foul line.
Erin Risner added 19 points and six assists for the Crusaders and Annika Wachtman (14 points) and Caroline Taphorn (12) each dished out five assists.
ONU stays on the road to play Baldwin Wallace at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday in OAC play.