Lexington, Ky. – On Senior Night 2021 at the Clive M. Beck Center, the Transylvania men's basketball team scrapped their way to a 58-49 victory over the Bluffton University Beavers on Saturday evening. 
 
Avenging its road loss a day earlier to the Beavers, the Pioneers captured the rematch as they celebrated the careers of Will Anderson, Lucas Gentry, Michael Jefferson, Gavin Root, and Will Sivills.
 
The Pioneers completed the regular season with a 7-8 overall record and 7-3 record against Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opponents. Bluffton dropped to 11-4 overall on the year and 8-4 against the HCAC gauntlet.
 
Zach Larimore was the go-to-guy for the Pioneers on Saturday, posting a team-high 20 points while shooting 9 of 15 from the field, and 2 of 6 from three-point territory as well as four rebounds and two assists.
 
Dominique Turner provided an all-around effort with 12 points, shooting a sharp 5 of 7 from the field with a career-high two 3-pointers made to go along with six rebounds and a massive slew of hustle plays.  
 
The contest was a slugfest from the opening tip as the Beavers opened up a slight advantage in the low-scoring affair. Each side struggled to find their rhythm with the score sitting at 17-13 in Bluffton's favor approaching the closing minutes of the half.
 
The tenor of the half changed at the 4:17 mark as the Pioneers vaulted in front with a 15-0 run to close the half. The Pioneers went on a tear as Larimore and Jack Patton combined to nail 3 of 3 three-point baskets while Jefferson dished out four assists on the six field goals made during the blistering run. Melding tenacious defense on the other end, Transylvania held the Beavers to a brisk 28 percent field goal percentage off 7 of 25 made field goals to extend its advantage to 28-17 at halftime.   
 
The pace slowed in the second half as the Pioneers looked to improve their efficiency. An exchange of baskets initiated the half as the Transy advantage grew to 13 at the 7:22 mark thanks to timely 3-balls from Aiden Pashley and Turner.
 
Larimore provided a crushing blow with 4:37 remaining in the second half by dishing an assist to Turner for another triple. Larimore followed with two baskets of his own, including a ferocious dunk that sent the condensed crowd into a frenzy on a 7-0 run.
 
The Pioneers finished the game shooting 23 of 52 from the field with 15 assists while Bluffton shot 17 of 51 from the floor.
 
Transylvania now looks ahead to the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. Times, opponents, and dates will be announced by the conference later this week. Matchups and schedules will be made available on TransySports.com following announcements by the conference.
 
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