BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Hanover Men's Basketball team (6-6 overall, 2-3 HCAC) fell in a chilly northwest Ohio Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference battle on Saturday afternoon inside the Sommer Center in Bluffton, Ohio, 77-69.
 
Senior Luke Miller (Madison, Ind.) propelled Hanover to an advantage after showing off his range from three-point. Despite the early success and out-shooting the Beavers from the floor in the first half, Bluffton held the upper hand. The men in Purple claimed a 14-9 lead at 12:15 when sophomore  CJ Walls (Louisville, Ky.) knotted the score 14-14.
 
Freshman Malachi McNair (Evansville, Ind.) used some nifty moves in the paint tallying back-to-back scores for the 22-18 lead. The freshman post player finished the first half with eight points. Sophomore William Herald (Fort Thomas, Ky.) contributed key minutes off the bench, netting two first half three-pointers. The Bluffton offense dominated the final minutes for the 35-33 halftime difference.
 
After a game-tying bucket by senior Coleman Sater (Ellettsville, Ind.)  in the second half, Hanover trailed for the remainder of the contest. The Panthers cut the lead to as little as two points on numerous occasions. With just under 10 minutes to play, Sater found a transition jumper that pulled the Blue and Red within 54-52. However, Bluffton outscored Hanover 42-36 in the half for the 77-69 victory,  
 
INSIDE THE STATS
McNair finished the afternoon with 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
 
Herald netted 14 points on a game-high four three-pointers.
 
Sater added 12 points and pulled in six rebounds while Walls netted 10 points and tallied seven rebounds.
 
Hanover returns to action on Wednesday, January 8 when they travel to Transylvania. Game time is slated for 7:30 PM.