LANSING, Mich. – Five Cougar players scored in double figures, including career-high performances by sophomores Isaiah Ingles and Drew Zuidema, as the Spring Arbor University men's basketball team defeated Great Lakes Christian College 94-35 in its season opener on Tuesday night.
The contest was a reunion between head coach Ryan Cottingham and Brian Snyder, a longtime assistant with the Cougars and now in his first season at the helm of Great Lakes Christian.
Spring Arbor held a slim 8-6 lead over Great Lakes Christian (0-2) at the 16:15 mark of the first half, but would begin to heat up from the floor. Over the next six minutes, the Cougars connected on eight of nine shots to fuel a 22-2 run that would break the game wide open.
Through the first 20 minutes, SAU shot 64 percent from the field (22-for-34), while going 10-for-14 from behind the arc, to take a 60-24 advantage into the locker room. The 60 points scored were the most in a half since the Cougars recorded 59 against the University of Windsor on Nov. 3, 2012.
In the second half, the Cougars limited the Lakers to only 11 points on 3-for-34 shooting en route to their first victory of the campaign.
Spring Arbor finished the game shooting 58 percent from the floor (35-for-60) and 61 percent from three-point range (11-for-18). The Cougars outscored the Lakers 25-0 on turnovers and 40-16 in the paint.
Zuidema led all scorers with a career-best 15 points knocking down three triples. Freshmen Anthony Qasawa and Luke Barber had impressive collegiate debuts. Qasawa finished with 13 points and a team-best seven rebounds while Barber posted 11 points and three boards. Ingles also registered 11 points with two assists, and senior Caleb Hogans totaled 10 points with a game-high five assists.
Spring Arbor (1-0) will be back in action on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30-31 at the Crossroads League/WHAC Challenge in Marion, Indiana. The Cougars will open the tournament against Aquinas College on Friday at 8 p.m. before facing the defending national champions, and No. 1 ranked, Cornerstone University on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Men's Basketball Contact: Chris Bauman | 517-750-6504 | christopher.bauman@arbor.edu
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