MISHAWAKA, IN - One of the best ways to describe the MCC Conference when it comes to basketball is that it could look something like a cage match with 10 gladiators swinging away at each other and the last man standing takes the crown. The latest contest for the Spring Arbor University Cougars took place at Bethel College with the Cougars escaping with a 64-62 thriller.

The tandem of Chris Bellamy and Rob Hogans sparked the Cougar offense as the pair combined for 41 points with most of those points coming in the second half.

The Cougars led Bethel at the break 28-21 after Hogans scored 12 points to pace Spring Arbor.

Both teams struggled from the field as Spring Arbor shot 35% (12/34) and Bethel shot 32% (8/25). Each team picked up the pace dramatically in the second half as Bethel shot 64% from the field (18/28) and Spring Arbor at 61% (14/23).

Spring Arbor never trailed in the second half of the ball game, but Bethel never went away as they stayed with the Cougars to within 4-8 points for most of the entire stanza.

With two minutes to go and the Cougars up by four points, Spring Arbor would turn the ball over on two straight possessions and the Pilots would take advantage of both errors and tie the game up at 61-61 with 0:28 on the clock.

With four seconds left, Chris Bellamy would then do what Chris Bellamy does best and make an aggressive and silky smooth drive to the basket and convert the bucket with a foul and get the extra point to give the Cougars a three point lead.

A Cougar foul and Pilot free throw would finish the scoring with Spring Arbor on top 64-62.

Bellamy would finish with a game high 22 points and Hogans would follow with 19.

"Chris is making a strong bid for the Player of the Year in the MCC," said Coach Ryan Cottingham. "He and Hogans were fantastic offensively for us, and Matt Carden and Jake Peterson were just huge on the defensive end of the court."

Matt Howe, while struggling offensively led the battle of the boards grabbing a game high eight rebounds.

Spring Arbor, with the win, moves into sole possession of 2^nd place in the MCC at 6-4 and 15-7 overall. The Cougars broke out of a five team bottle-neck for the 2^nd spot as Indiana Wesleyan getting upset again, this time to Marian and are now 5-5 with Goshen, Marian, Saint Francis, Bethel, and Huntington. That is six teams tied for 3^rd place at 5-5 in the Conference. Taylor is only one game behind the bunch at 4-6 (15-7) and currently sit on the outside of post-tournament play.

The Cougars will return home for a Tuesday night game with the Cougars from Fort Wayne, IN as Saint Francis will come up for a visit for a 7:00 tip.