After leading for most of the game, the Spring Arbor University men's basketball team eased past the Cornerstone Golden Eagles on the road by a 79-77 final score.
Spring Arbor was sharp early in the contest and shot an impressive 54% from the floor in the opening half of play, including 45% from behind the arc.
On the other side of the floor, the Cougars were able to keep the Cornerstone's two leading scorers in John Jonker and Andy Bronkema under control, holding CU to 44% fromt he field.
The second half proved to be more intersting for the Cougars as an eight point halftime lead disappeared and Cornerstone raced out to an 18-3 run early in the half to snatch the advantage.
Balanced contribution helped SAU stay in the game as eight player had at least five points and five players had at least three rebounds in the game.
In spite of Cornerstone's hot shooting in the second half (65%), it was Spring Arbor who was able to make more plays down the stretch and come away with a 79-77 victory.
"We feel very good about this game," commented SAU head coach Ryan Cottingham. "We got excellent effort from everyone, and we held our compsure when they put us under pressure. It's exciting to see progress in our maturity as a team."
Senior Scott Parrish led the Cougars with 16 points, while Justin DeKock and Josh Brandt kicked in 13 and 12 respectively. Sophomore Darby Decker passed out a game high 4 assists.
Spring Arbor is back in action Tuesday when they travel to Madonna University for their second meeting with the Crusaders this season. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
