In a game that was tied on six occasions and involved 19 lead changes, the host Beavers improved to 4-5 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference and 11-9 overall while the Grizzlies dropped to 5-4 in the league and 13-7.
Trailing by seven points at 68-61 inside the last two minutes, FC junior center Nick Kane scored a pair of lay-ups to pull the Grizzlies to within three points. Bluffton, however, got two clutch free throws each from Scott Bergman and Eric Sweet down the stretch to help the Beavers avenge their Jan. 12 overtime loss at Franklin.
Kane, the HCAC’s third-leading scorer, paced all scorers with 26 points on 11-of-16 field goal shooting. Alan Davidson was the only other Grizzly to score points in double figures with 10.
Bluffton was propelled by Bergman, the league’s scoring average leader, with 24 points and a game-best six assists. Sweet and Darren Clark added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Franklin remained in third place in the HCAC standings at 5-4. Manchester College moved into a third-place tie with its 78-71 overtime victory at Defiance College (Ohio). Bluffton and College of Mount St. Joseph are tied for fifth place.
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