LEXINGTON, Ky.—A basket with five seconds left from senior Tommy Sirkin tied the game at 65 forcing an overtime period, but the Transylvania University men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker to Bluffton University, 87-76, on Senior Day Saturday at the Clive M. Beck Center to end their season.
The Pioneers trailed by as many as eight in the second half, before erasing the Bluffton lead as time wound down in regulation. Bluffon held a 27-19 lead at the break, before the Pioneers opened the half on a 14-3 run to tie the game at 33 with 15: 37 left.
Sophomore Alex Jones netted five straight points for the Pioneers, closing the Bluffton lead to five, 59-54, with 2:25 left to play. Junior Parker Stansberry pulled down a timely defensive rebound, as Jones found junior Lowell Gordon in the corner for a clutch three-pointer to narrow the Beaver lead to two with 1:20 showing on the clock.
Following a Pioneer timeout, Stansberry picked the pocket of Billy Taflinger and found Sirkin underneath for the basket to tie the game at 59. On the ensuing possession, Bluffton's Thayne Recker converted an old-fashioned three-point play to give the Beavers a three-point lead. The Transylvania offense, however, was not phased as Stansberry laid it in to close the Bluffton lead back to one.
After Taflinger knocked down both free throws, freshman Tim Bickel drew the foul inside and converted on both free throws on the other end to keep the margin to one, 64-63. The Beavers extended the lead to two, after connecting on 1-of-2 from the line late, keeping the lead at two points. Stansberry, again, found Sirkin inside for the lay in with five seconds left in regulation to force the overtime period.
Jones connected on the first Transylvania possession of the overtime period, giving the Pioneers a 67-75 lead. Bluffton, however, responded and took a 71-69 lead, before Jones found Stansberry at the top of the key for a three-pointer giving the Pioneers a one-point advantage, 72-71.
The Beavers converted on six of the next eight possessions to take an 86-73 lead, before seniorIsaiah Dooley knocked down a long ball from behind-the-arc to cut the lead back to 10 with 13 seconds remaining, as the Beavers held on for the win.
Stansberry led the Pioneers with 23 points, three assists and four blocks. Jones finished with 19 points, along with six assists and two steals, while freshman Robert Dence added 10 points and nine rebounds.