ADRIAN, MI – Struggling from the free throw line so far this season, the Spring Arbor University men's basketball team turned it around against the Siena Heights University Saints and made nine of ten from the charity stripe in the last minute of the game to pull off a New Year's Eve win 68-64 on the Siena Height campus.
In the last decade, Spring Arbor has been at or near the top of the list in free throw percentage year after year. The 2011-12 team was over 78% from the free throw line, and last year's squad was over 75%. This year the Cougars have been running at 67% from the line, which isn't terrible, but ranks eighth in the Crossroads League.
Against the Saints, the Cougars led by two at the half with a 30-28 lead after twenty minutes of action. Xavier Prather hit a jumper at the buzzer to give Spring Arbor the advantage of SHU.
Coming out of the half, Siena tied the game three times, the last at 16:02 remaining with the score 36-36. Over the next seven minutes, Spring Arbor enjoyed a 12-0 run and a 48-36 lead with 11:36 left on the clock.
The Saints chipped away at the Cougars defense and got to within three points with six seconds remaining after Siena's Eric Cogan made a 3-pointer, but Greg Hamilton got fouled with five seconds on the clock, and made the first of two free throws, and missed the second and the Saints 3-pointer with two seconds left missed the mark and time ran out with the Cougars in front.
Senior Guard, Rob Hogans led four Cougars in double figures with a team high 19 points and hauled in five rebounds. Prather poured in 14 points and dished out a game high three assists. Thomas Starks added 11 points and five boards and Hamilton chipped in 10 points.
Spring Arbor hit 16 of 20 free throws for a familiar 80% from the free throw line as they improved to 6-9 for the season. The Cougars return to Crossroads League play starting Saturday, January 4 at 3:00 against Mount Vernon Nazarene University. The SAU Cougars have split the last two seasons with the MVNU Cougars with each team winning two games.
