SPRING ARBOR, MI – Every once in a while, something big happens in sports and it is proper to take a moment and recognize the achievement for what it is. This moment happened on Bockwitz Court in the Spring Arbor University field house on Saturday afternoon after the Cougars won the Trent Allen Memorial Tip-off Classic. SAU won the championship with a hard fought 48-47 win over a very good #25 ranked Rochester College, and the win gave Head Coach, Ryan Cottingham his 263rd win as the head coach of the Cougars.
The 263 wins for Cottingham breaks the All-Time coaching wins for Men's Basketball at SAU breaking Bill Bockwitz's mark of 262 when Bockwitz retired from basketball in 1988.
"It's only special because of how much I admire Coach (Bill Bockwitz)," said a humble Ryan Cottingham. "That it was here, in this tournament that we honor another great person in Trent Allen and with his family here makes it special, but the number doesn't mean much."
The game was a fantastic defensive battle between two teams unwilling to give up. Both teams simply would not let the other gain any momentum to build a lead and in the end, it came down to a huge rebounds, none bigger than Greg Hamilton's offensive rebound with 17 seconds remaining with the Cougars up by one to keep the ball in Spring Arbor's hands.
Xavier Prather missed the front end of a one and one and the Warriors had a shot at the buzzer to try to win it, but the shot sailed a bit long and wide and clanked off the rim for the Cougar win.
Rob Hogans was the Tournament MVP scoring 34 points last night and backing it up with 24 against Rochester. Tyler Hughes was the next highest point getter for the Cougars with eight points in the low-scoring defensive gem.
Spring Arbor will try for a 3-0 start with a game at home against Concordia University on Tuesday night at 7:00 pm. The Cougars are 5-0 against Concordia since 2005 including last year's 92-89 win over Concordia last year in Ann Arbor, MI.
