MISHAWAKA, Ind. – The Spring Arbor University women's basketball team suffered a narrow 84-80 loss on the road against Crossroads League foe Bethel College on Saturday.
Junior Jessica Mabry drove to the basket to tie the score with two of her career-high 21 points with less than two minutes to play, but the Lady Pilots would close out the game on a 6-2 run to hand the Cougars their third straight setback.
The loss drops Spring Arbor to 3-7 overall and 0-3 in the Crossroads League while Bethel bumped its record to 5-5 and 1-2 in league play.
A basket by sophomore Kylie Townsley gave the Cougars a 24-19 lead at the 7:52 mark in the first half, but 13 straight points by the Pilots over the next two minutes gave the home team an eight point advantage. Bethel would hold on to its lead and go into the locker room on top 40-32.
A three-pointer early in the second half would boost the Pilots' lead to double digits, but the Cougars refused to go away. Mabry and sophomore Aimee Konkel would combine for 13 points during a 20-9 spurt to tie the score 54-54 before Townsley capped the run with a bucket at the 12:23 mark to put the Cougars back in front.
The two teams continued to go back and forth over the next ten minutes, battling to 78-78 with 1:42 left on the clock. The Pilots would capitalize off a Spring Arbor turnover to take a two point lead with under a minute to go, and after a missed shot by SAU on the ensuing possession, the Cougars were forced to foul. Bethel took advantage of its trips to the charity stripe, going 4-for-4 down the stretch, to put the game away.
Bethel finished the afternoon connecting on 60 percent (28-for-47) of its shots while limiting Spring Arbor to 45 percent (28-for-62) shooting. The Cougars forced the Pilots into 24 giveaways, but were only able to convert those into 19 points.
Konkel registered a game-high 23 points while knocking down seven three-pointers and Mabry added five steals and four assists to go along with her 21 points. Townsley followed with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists and freshman Autumn Goggin added nine points and seven boards.
Spring Arbor returns home to host Holy Cross College (2-9) in non-conference action on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m.
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