Box Score Lexington, Ky. – Brandon Cromwell scored eight of his 15 points in the final 76 seconds of regulation to lead the Transylvania men's basketball team to a 64-59 win over the Bluffton University Beavers on Saturday at the Beck Center.
Transylvania picked up its second straight home win to improve to 10-7 overall and 5-5 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play while Bluffton fell to 5-12 overall and 1-8 in the conference standings.
The Pioneers held off a gritty set of runs by Bluffton thanks to a team-high 17 points and nine rebounds from Hunter Penn, who took over midway through the second half before Cromwell shut down any comeback hopes from the Beavers with two late triples.
Transylvania began the afternoon on a tear as Zach Larimore, Penn, and Colby Napier each found paydirt in the first 90 seconds to boost the Pioneers to a 6-0 lead. The Beavers responded with a 12-4 run to capture their first lead of the game before the half slowly developed the rest of the way.
A three-pointer from Jack Patton handed Transy a 22-16 lead with six minutes to go in the half, but the Beavers countered with an 11-5 run to tie up the game at 27-27 by halftime.
Larimore led a 9-0 Transy run to start the second half, which served as a cushion over the next eight minutes of play. Bluffton closed within two points at 42-40 at the 9:34 mark before Penn took over on the blocks, scoring three straight field goals to lift the Pioneers to a 49-42 advantage with seven minutes left in the game.
Bluffton refused to wilt as the visitors rallied back again at 50-48 with 4:19 to go in regulation. Matthew Teague found Penn on a backdoor cut again and Larimore did the same on the following possession as the Pioneers cultivated a 54-48 advantage with 2:54 remaining.
The Beavers scored five straight points to pull within a point at 54-53 with 1:40 left in the game. On the following two possessions, Cromwell buried back-to-back triples, the second one coming with 37 seconds left in the contest. The Beavers kept the game alive with two late three-pointers but Cromwell and Larimore sank the daggers from the free throw line down the stretch to cap off a clutch performance.
Larimore finished the day with 11 points and five rebounds while Simon Smith added eight rebounds and six points.
The Pioneers hit the road this Wednesday, February 2 to take on the Franklin College Grizzlies in Franklin, Indiana. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from the Spurlock Center.
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