SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – For the second time in 10 days, the Spring Arbor University women's basketball team knocked off a Top 25 ranked opponent, stunning No. 11 Indiana Wesleyan University 62-47 on Saturday.
After taking a one point lead into halftime, the Cougars opened the third quarter on a 14-2 run to power their way to their 13th win of the season – the most since the 2008-09 campaign.
"Obviously this is a huge win from our team," said head coach Ryan Frost. "Our girls are gaining confidence every game. They did a great job executing the game plan we had going in and answered when they went on runs. Very proud of this team!"
Spring Arbor has now won four out of its last five games and stands at 13-11 overall with a 5-7 mark in the Crossroads League. Meanwhile, Indiana Wesleyan dropped its third straight contest to slip to 18-6 and 7-5 in league play.
Following a back-and-forth first half that featured eight ties and five lead changes, SAU took complete control in the second. The Wildcats could not solve the pressure defense from the Cougars turning the ball over four times in the first five minutes of the third period. Spring Arbor capitalized on its chances building a five point advantage before back-to-back triples from junior Aimee Konkel pushed the lead into double digits. Junior Rachel Driesenga capped the scoring run with a lay-up off another IWU turnover to give the Cougars a 39-26 lead at the 2:58 mark.
Spring Arbor outscored Indiana Wesleyan 18-6 in the third quarter, but the visitors refused to go down quietly. The Wildcats, who own one of the best defenses in the conference, limited SAU to just one field goal for nearly seven minutes in the fourth quarter, clawing their way back to within five, 47-42, with 3:52 to play.
After a Faith Johnson free throw increased the margin to six, Johnson ended the long drought with a huge three-pointer to swing the momentum. The Cougars would then clinch the game at the free throw line in final minutes.
Spring Arbor held Indiana Wesleyan to its lowest point total of the season, and forced the Wildcats into 21 turnovers.
Sophomore Autumn Goggin led the Cougars with 16 points while Driesenga and Johnson also finished in double figures. Driesenga totaled 11 points with eight rebounds, and Johnson followed with 10 points and six boards.
Up next, Spring Arbor will host Taylor University (13-11, 4-8 CL) on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m.
Women's Basketball Contact: Chris Bauman | 517-750-6504 | christopher.bauman@arbor.edu
SAU Athletics: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
Women's Basketball: Facebook | Instagram
