HIRAM, Ohio – December 21, 2024 – Hiram held on in a tight non-conference affair with Bluffton on Saturday late afternoon, putting together just enough production in the final minutes to earn a 70-68 victory inside Price Gymnasium.
The Terriers led by as many as 13 points in the game before the Beavers found a groove on both ends of the floor to make it a one-possession game in the closing moments.
Bluffton grabbed a 66-64 lead with 3:12 remaining on a layup by Nevin Robson, who had a game-high 26 points. Over 90 seconds of scoreless basketball ensued before Mitchell Wiechecki drew a foul and sunk a pair of free throws to level the tally at 66-66.
Robson followed with a tip-in layup and Wiechecki answered with a driving layup, keeping the score tied with under a minute remaining. Hiram earned a defensive stop and called a timeout with just over 20 seconds remaining – the team was once again in position to earn a home win in the final minute of regulation.
It wasn't a last-second shot, but an offensive rebound by Trent Jakacki and a foul drawn by Collin Jones led to a pair of free-throw attempts for Jones. The freshman from Little Rock, AR sunk both free throws and the Hiram defense stayed firm in the final 10 seconds to carve out a 70-68 final score and the team's first winning streak since the middle of November.
Ivan Yang led the Terriers with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Wiechecki had 14 points, two rebounds and three assists. All 10 Hiram student-athletes to log action in the game scored at least one field goal.
Hiram was in control throughout the first half before the late-game drama, with the offense combining to shoot nearly 50% from the field (15-31), which included a pair of 3-pointers from Yang in the final 2:05 of the half. Yang finished the half with 12 points and the halftime score stood at 44-34.
The second half saw a resurgent Bluffton team, which shot 48% over the final 20 minutes. Wiechecki led all Hiram scorers with 7 second-half points, which also included a key defensive rebound off a Bluffton miss in the final second of action.
The Terriers will take the holiday week off before returning to competition on Monday, Dec. 30 for a road battle with Waynesburg at 3 p.m. inside Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse.
