Box Score

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Transylvania ran its winning streak to seven Saturday, getting 16 points from Ethan Spurlinand 15 apiece from Tate Cox and Brandon Rash, en route to a 76-68 Heartland Conference men's basketball win over Bluffton at the Beck Center.

Transy improved to 7-0 for the season and 4-0 in HCAC play while Bluffton is 5-4, 1-3 in conference action.

The Pioneers are off to the best start of a season since the 1994-95 team won its first six games of the season. Transy teams had 5-0 starts in 2000-01 and 2002-03. The best opening to a season was the 10-0 mark posted by the 1990-91 team that featured graduate assistant coach Brian Lane.

Lane moved within one win of the career mark of former coach C.M. Newton, who had a 176-165 mark from 1951-53 and 1955-64. Lane's record is 175-99 in 11 seasons, trailing only the 509-241 mark by Don Lane from 1975-2001.

After Transy bolted to a nine-point lead to open the game, grabbing an 18-9 edge on a Rash layup, Bluffton charged back to tie it at 27-27 at the 3:48 mark. Neither team would lead by more than five the rest of the half. Bluffton led 37-36 at intermission when Josh Johnson canned a three as time ran out.

There were four first-half ties and three lead changes. Rash and Barrett Meyer each had eight points in the period and Chris Owens added seven. Transy shot 46 percent from the field in the opening period compared to 45.5 percent for the Beavers. Both teams excelled at the free throw line, with the Pioneers hitting 10 of 12 and Bluffton 13 of 15.

Owens added 13 points to Transy's balance attack. Cox added seven rebounds while Meyer led in assists with five.

The contest remained close throughout the rest of the game, with no team leading by more than Transy's eight-point cushion, 53-45, at the 12-minute mark. The Pioneers matched that with the final margin in a contest that was tied seven times and saw 10 lead changes.

Transy shot 45 percent for the game, including eight of 19 from three-point range. Cox hit four of six from long range. Bluffton could manage just 40 percent overall, including eight of 22 from downtown. Josh Fisher led the visitors with 23 points and seven boards.

Both teams finished 24 of 29 from the free throw line.

The Pioneers return to action on Tuesday, when they host the Don Lane Fortune Hi Tech Marketing Invitational. Nationally ranked and unbeaten Wabash faces Baldwin-Wallace in the opener at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Transy-Hendrix contest at 7:30 p.m.