Written by BW Athletic Communications Student Assistant Colin West '27

BLUFFTON, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team defeated Bluffton University in overtime in a non-conference matchup, 101-97, inside the Sommer Center. Six different Yellow Jackets scored at least 10 points to power BW to its first overtime victory of the season and close 2025 with two consecutive victories.

BW Leaders (3-8)

• Junior forward Isaac Richardson (Avon Lake) had a career day, scoring a game high 27 points and hauling in 11 rebounds
• Richardson's career-high 27 points are the most by a Yellow Jacket in a single game this season
• Junior Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference guard Titus Baskerville IV (Stow-Munroe Falls) scored 16 points, dished out four assists, and corralled six rebounds
• Junior forward Andrew Griffith (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) tied his career-high with 15 points and went a perfect six-for-six from the free-throw line
• Freshman guard Josh Byers (Strongsville) recorded 13 points and dealt out four assists
• Sophomore guard Braylan McClardy (Brooklyn/Cuyahoga Heights) notched 11 points and six rebounds
• Junior forward AJ Pestello (Cuyahoga Falls/Stow-Munroe Falls) scored 10 points and recorded four rebounds    

Bluffton Leaders (3-8) 

• Senior guard Nevin Robson recorded a double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds
• Graduate guard Andre Irvin scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds
• Graduate guard Ian Snelling added 20 points and a team-high six assists

First Half (Bluffton 44-40) 

• Junior forward J.D. Stokes scored the first points of the game with a layup
• BW responded with a 7-0 run in the next 1:24
• The Yellow Jackets expanded their lead to eight at 9:03 with a layup by McClardy
• Bluffton fought back to take the lead at the 4:22 mark after a 12-3 run
• Richardson scored the last six points of the half for the Brown and Gold as they chipped away at the Beavers' lead

Second Half (Tied 85-85)

• Richardson continued his scoring streak with a three-pointer at 19:33 to open the second-half scoring
• A Baskerville IV layup at 13:36 gave the Yellow Jackets the lead for the first time in the second half
• After Bluffton retook the lead, two straight Griffith three-pointers reestablished the BW lead at the 10:53 point of the half
• BW maintained their lead until the Beavers knotted the game at 70 with 5:23 to go
• The final minutes of the half were extremely tightly contested, and a Byers free throw put the Yellow Jackets in front by three with 0:12 remaining in regulation
• Irvin knocked down a three with seven seconds left in the game to send it into overtime

Overtime (BW 101-97)

• Byers knocked down two free throws to begin the period
• The Brown and Gold expanded their lead to six at 2:11 by two Griffith free throws
• Bluffton evened the score with 38 seconds left in the period after a 7-1 run
• Pestello scored the go-ahead bucket with a tip-in with six seconds to play
• Two more clutch Griffith free throws at two seconds made it a two-possession game and secured the victory for the Yellow Jackets

Up Next
The Yellow Jackets return to their home court to take on Chatham (Pa.) on Saturday, January 3, inside Ursprung Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. Fans can catch all the action on FloCollege.