Box Score

100

Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU 18-14

110

Bethel (Ind.) BC 28-4

Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU

18-14

100

Final

Feb. 25, 2017

110

Bethel (Ind.) BC

28-4

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU	44	56	100
Bethel (Ind.) BC	59	51	110

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 2/25/2017 12:00:00 AM

Second half comeback falls short in semifinal loss to Bethel

MISHAWAKA, Ind. – Freshman Paul Marandet finished with a game-high 25 points and sophomore Tommy Hamilton added 20, but it would not be enough as the Spring Arbor University men's basketball team fell to No. 3 ranked Bethel College 110-100 Saturday in the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals.

Spring Arbor trailed by as many as 20 in the second half, but refused to go away. Marandet powered a late run to close the gap to nine with less than a minute to play, but the Cougars would run out of time. The Pilots clinched the win at the free throw line down the stretch to secure their spot in the tournament championship game next Tuesday night.

THE BASICS

FINAL SCORE: Spring Arbor 100, #3 Bethel 110

LOCATION: Gates Gymnasium | Mishawaka, Ind.

RECORDS: Spring Arbor 18-14, Bethel 28-4

HOW IT HAPPENED

Bethel started the game red-hot knocking down four three-pointers, including three by Jordyn Coon, in the first five minutes of the contest to race out to a 19-8 lead.
Spring Arbor was unable to slow down the league's most proficient offense through the remainder of the half. The Pilots capitalized for 14 points off seven SAU turnovers, and dominated the glass, converting six offensive rebounds into 14 second chance points.
Bethel was also able to take advantage of its trips to the free throw line going a perfect 16-for-16 from the charity stripe through the first 20 minutes.
The Cougars fell behind by 23, 50-27, at the 4:34 mark, but late buckets by Marandet and Zach Medendorp trimmed the deficit to 15 at halftime 59-44.
SAU carried the momentum into the start of the second half five quick points to get the Cougars within 10. Bethel countered, however, with an 11-3 run to extend its advantage back to 18.
The Pilots answered every run by the Cougars and would maintain a comfortable cushion throughout most of the half.
Up 20 with 9:28 remaining, the home looked to have had the game locked up, but Spring Arbor continued to battle. Hamilton tallied 10 of the next 12 SAU points to cut into the deficit.
With less than a minute to go, Hamilton would hit a tough jumper to get the Cougars within nine, 105-96, with 47 seconds left on the clock.
Bethel would make the most of its trips to the charity stripe in the closing seconds, hitting 5-of-6 attempts to hang on for the win.

FOR THE COUGARS

Marandet's 25 points matched his season-high going 9-for-16 from the field. He also added five assists and three rebounds. Hamilton dropped a career-best 20 points, including 18 in the second half. He also recorded five steals.
Medendorp and Starks added 13 points apiece while Starks also finished with seven boards and four assists. Caleb Hogans followed with 11 points and Drew Zuidema and Jeff Beckman chipped in six each.
Spring Arbor had one of its best games from the field shooting 57 percent (37-for-65).
The Cougars outscored the Pilots in the paint 48-44.
Spring Arbor finished the season with an 18-14 record. The Cougars posted one of the best turnaround seasons in the country, winning 10 more games than the previous year.

FOR THE PILOTS

Six Bethel players scored in double figures, including Coon's team-leading 22 points. Clay Yeo finished with 17 and Gage Ott had 16. Paul Forman registered a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
The Pilots shot 53 percent (32-for-61) from the floor, including 9-for-18 from three-point range. The home team was nearly perfect from the free throw line converting 37-of-39 attempts.
Bethel's 110 points were the most scored against SAU this season.