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Bluffton College rolled over Marygrove College Friday night 94-70 in the opening night of the Taco Bell/Comfort Inn Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament in Founders Hall.
The Beavers will face Heidelberg College Saturday at 3 p.m. in the tournament championship. Heidelberg advanced to the title game with a 90-79 win over Urbana.
The game was Bluffton's 2002-03 home opener and the second win for the Beavers in a row.
Four BC players scored in double-figures, led by junior Brad Boyles who scored a career-high 20 points. Senior Mike Leimeister scored 18 points, with 16 of those coming in the first half. Senior Derek DeNero added 11 points and freshman Bryan Yelley chipped in 10.
A 9-0 run by Marygrove gave the visitors from Detroit a 17-11 lead with 14:33 left in the first half, but after a timeout Bluffton went on an 11-0 run to regain the lead and a 19-3 run later in the first half put the Beavers up 49-31 with two minutes before halftime. BC led 55-35 at the intermission.
Bluffton (2-2) shot nearly 62% from the floor in the second half to keep Marygrove (3-5) from getting back into the game as all but one of Bluffton’s 15 players in uniform scored. The BC bench scored 31 points in the game.
Senior Marcus Bixler scored six points and dished out seven assists, while sophomore Bryce Beilharz was 4-for-5 from the floor for eight points.
Marygrove’s Dennis Foster scored 32 points, 21 of those coming in the second half, to lead the Mustangs, who will face Urbana at 1 p.m. Saturday in the consolation game.
