Box Score RICHMOND, Ind. — A Bluffton score with 1.8 seconds on the clock was the difference for the Earlham College men's basketball team on Wednesday night as the Quakers dropped a 73-72 decision to Bluffton University.

The Beavers took their first lead of the second period scoring a basket with 17 seconds remaining to make it 71-70 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference affair on Schuckman Court.

Colton Bragg (Richmond, IN, Richmond) scored with seven seconds left, which set the stage for the Beavers to hit the game-winning shot with a second on the clock.

Kyle Calder (Crawfordsville, IN, North Montgomery) had a desperation heave from beyond half-court that was short at the buzzer sounded.

On Top Early

The contest was tight early before the Quakers began to pull away in the opening stanza.

When Bragg scored at the 11:13 mark of the first half, the Quakers led 18-9.

Later in the period, Ryan Taylor (Martinsville, IN, Martinsville) drilled a 3-pointer that made it 26-12 at 7:52.

The Beavers (12-6, 6-5) were able to close the gap to 33-27 with 2:54 remaining in the frame.

However, the Quakers finished with a 6-0 run to go on top 39-27 at intermission.

In the second half, the Quakers were able to widen their margin to 14 points in four different occasions with the last coming at 13:11 with Earlham led 56-42.

Bluffton battled back into the contest as the Beavers cut the deficit to single digits and eventually took the lead with 17 seconds remaining to set the stage for the game-winning score.

Justin Barger (Ellettsville, IN, Edgewood) led the Quakers with a career-high 22 points and eight rebounds. Barger had 21 points against the Beavers in a 77-73 loss at Bluffton earlier this month.
 
Bragg finished with 19 points and four rebounds.

Calder ended the contest with 12 points, seven rebounds and a team-high six assists.

Taylor contributed nine points.  

Next up for the Quakers (0-18, 0-11) is a HCAC game at home against Anderson University, which is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

Box Score