BLUFFTON, Ohio – Earlham College men's basketball was outscored by 24 points in the second half leading to a 78-59 Bluffton University victory over the Quakers, in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference clash on Wednesday night at the Sommer Center.

THE BASICS

Final Score:  Bluffton 78, Earlham 59
Location: Bluffton, Ohio – Sommer Center
Records: Earlham 7-11, 3-8 HCAC / Bluffton 9-9, 5-6 HCAC

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Quakers enjoyed a 12-point lead, 34-22, late in the first half, before a 7-0 Beaver run narrowed the gap to five points, 34-29, at the halftime break.

The Beavers maintained that momentum coming out of the locker room for the second half, scoring the first nine points of the stanza to take a 38-34 lead as the clock passed the 17:00 mark.

A pair of Bluffton runs in the second half effectively put the game out of reach. The Beavers went on a 10-0 run lasting three minutes midway through the stanza, ending with Bluffton holding a 59-47 lead with 9:21 remaining. Another two-minute stretch where the Quakers were held scoreless helped the Beavers extend their lead to 74-57, following a pair of Bluffton foul shots with 2:56 to play in the game.

Bluffton's victory was aided by a 16-for-17 effort at the free-throw line on 15 Earlham fouls. The Beavers were called for a total of six fouls – three in each half – resulting in the Quakers charting a 2-for-2 mark at the charity stripe.

The Beavers also controlled the boards, 41-17, including a 13-2 advantage on the offensive glass. Bluffton finished the game with 17 second-chance points.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Senior Chainey Zolman paced Earlham with 19 points on a 7-of-12 shooting performance with three 3-pointers. He also accounted for Earlham's only two free throws of the game.

Senior Blake Bonin was the only other Quaker in double figures with 13 points to go with four assists. Junior Jamel Barnes Jr. dished out a team-high five assists for Earlham.

Andrew Renner and Dezman Brown each scored 21 points to lead Bluffton offensively.

WHAT'S NEXT

Earlham men's basketball is back in action on Saturday, Feb. 1, when the Quakers travel to Anderson, Indiana, to face the Ravens. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.