BLUFFTON, Ohio - A second half surge propelled the Spartans to a 65-47 victory over Bluffton University in men's basketball action on Wednesday, January 18. 

After a back-and-forth opening half of Wednesday's game, the Black and Gold were ahead 23-22 at the half. The Spartans' strong start to the second half gave them a 12-point lead with 15:00 minutes to go. Manchester would see their biggest lead of the night, 22 points, with 2:08 left on the clock thanks to a good three-pointer by Owen Shively (Fort Wayne, Ind., Bishop Dwenger), assisted by Ty Lynas (Crawfordsville, Ind., Crawfordsville). The Spartans closed out Wednesday's game by a final score of 65-47. 

Leading the way for the Black and Gold was Zach Sawyer (Columbus, Ohio, Bishop Watterson) and Bryant Smith (West Lafayette, Ind., Harrison) with 20 points. Sawyer shot 7-10 from the field and 5-5 from the free throw during Wednesday's contest, while Logan Willoughby (Greenwood, Ind., Whiteland Community) and Ty Lynas chipped in 9 points apiece. Lynas also finished the game with a team-high 7 rebounds and 6 assists for Manchester. As a team, Manchester shot 39.0% from the field and 84.6% from the free throw line. With the win, MU improved to 8-8 overall and 6-3 in conference play. 

Cam Rogers led the Beavers with 14 points, while Connor Martin finished the night with a double-double, scoring 12 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. As a team, Bluffton shot 29.3% from the field and 61.1% from the free throw line. 

Up next, the Manchester men's and women's basketball teams will host the Earlham Quakers for another HCAC doubleheader. Tip-off for the women is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. with the men to follow at 3:00 p.m.