OLIVET, MI - The Spring Arbor University men's basketball team was on the road at Olivet College on Saturday afternoon and will return home with a huge one point victory over the Comets. Matt Howe was fouled with .1 second left on the clock with the game tied 78-78. Howe made the first and intentionally missed the second to give the Cougars a thrilling 79-78 victory.

"This wasn't our best effort of the year, but we'll take it," said Coach Ryan Cottingham. "We always struggle at Olivet and to get out of there with win is good for us."

Howe led all scorers in the game with 26 points hitting 9 of 16 shots from the field and pulled down six rebounds for Spring Arbor.

With 60 seconds left in the game, Chris Bellamy put the Cougars up by 5 (78-73) by hitting one of two free throws and Olivet's Alvino Ashley converted a traditional three point play to cut the lead to two points. Eight seconds later, a Cougar turnover and foul put Olivet on the line for two free throws to tie the game at 78 points apiece.

Spring Arbor is currently leading the NAIA in free throw percentage so it's only fitting that Howe's dramatic finish was at the free throw line. With 4.4 seconds on the clock Cottingham called an inbounds play to go to Howe who put up a shot and missed but grabbed his own rebound and was attempting to put it back up and was fouled on the play to set up the drama.

Chris Bellamy scored 21 points on the night and grabbed seven rebounds as he continues his solid play during the 2011-12 campaign.

Rob Hogan was the third Cougar scoring double digits as he knocked in 10 points while he also pulled in six rebounds.

Caleb Byers scored nine points, Chandler Okey scored six, Matt Van Pelt five points, and Jake Peterson rounded out the scoring with two points for Spring Arbor.

"Chandler Okey plays perhaps the best game of his young career," continued Cottingham. "He continues to get better and made good decisions tonight for us."

The win lifts Spring Arbor to 8-3 while Olivet continues to struggle at 1-6. The Cougars will head Brescia University to play in their Holiday Tournament in Kentucky on the 16^th and 17^th before continuing south for the Chuck Daly Memorial Tournament in Florida between Christmas and New Years.