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80
Winner Cornerstone (Mich.) CU 1-0
72
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU 1-1
Winner
Cornerstone (Mich.) CU
1-0
80
Final
72
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU
1-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Cornerstone (Mich.) CU 40 40 80
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU 46 26 72

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Cougars fall just short in upset attempt of No. 7 Cornerstone

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Spring Arbor University men's basketball team came up just short in an upset bid of No. 7 Cornerstone University on the first day of the Crossroads League/WHAC Challenge Friday afternoon. The Cougars led 62-61 with 6:25 remaining, but the Golden Eagles closed out the game on a 19-10 run to escape the victory.

 
 

THE BASICS

FINAL SCORE: Spring Arbor 72, No. 7 Cornerstone 80

LOCATION: Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center (Aquinas College) | Grand Rapids, Mich.

RECORDS: Spring Arbor 1-1, Cornerstone 1-0

 
 

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Spring Arbor entered Friday's matchup with Cornerstone posting two straight wins over the Golden Eagles, including last year's 87-81 victory when CU was ranked No. 1 in the country.
  • Both teams shot the ball extremely well in the first half. The Cougars connected on 61 percent (17-for-28) while the Golden Eagles hit at a 64 percent (16-for-25) clip.
  • A barrage of three-pointers helped give SAU a 46-40 lead at halftime. As a team, the Cougars went 8-for-13 from long range. Tom Hamilton and Luke Barber combined to go a perfect 6-for-6 from behind the arc.
  • After the explosive first 20 minutes, Spring Arbor had trouble finding its rhythm offensively in the second half. Cornerstone, a national tournament quarterfinalist a season ago, limited SAU to just 26 points in the stanza.
  • Despite the offensive struggles, the Cougars continued to battle, staying within striking distance the majority of the half. Following a basket by Jeff Beckman, SAU cut the deficit to three, 69-66, at the 3:35 mark. Cornerstone, however, would score nine unanswered points to seal the game.

 
 

FOR THE COUGARS

  • A balanced scoring effort saw four Spring Arbor players finish in double figures. Barber and Nick Welch led the way with 15 points apiece while Paul Marandet finished with 14 points and four assists. Hamilton also chipped in 12 points.
  • Hamilton and Barber both finished with four three-pointers each while Barber hauled in a team-high five rebounds.
  • Spring Arbor shot 47 percent (26-for-55) from the field, including 43 percent (12-for-28) from behind the arc.

 
 

FOR THE GOLDEN EAGLES

  • Sam Vander Sluis, an All-American last year, posted a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead Cornerstone. Christian Rodriguez also added 17 points.
  • The Golden Eagles did most of their damage down low, outscoring SAU 42-22 in the paint and holding a 35-25 edge in rebounds.

 
 

UP NEXT

Spring Arbor is right back in action on Saturday, Oct. 27 when it takes on Aquinas College at 6 p.m. on the final day of the Crossroads League/WHAC Challenge. 

 
 

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