WINONA LAKE, Ind. – The No. 23 ranked Spring Arbor University men's basketball team escaped with a 76-73 road win over Grace College on Tuesday evening.
The Cougars withstood a late Lancer rally to remain unbeaten in Crossroads League play and match a program record with their ninth straight victory.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: No. 23 Spring Arbor 76, Grace 73
LOCATION: MOCC | Winona Lake, Ind.
RECORDS: Spring Arbor 10-1 (2-0 CL), Grace 8-2 (0-2 CL)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Tied 13-13, Nick Welch poured in seven straight points as part of a 9-0 run to give Spring Arbor a 22-13 advantage at the 11:26 mark of the first half.
- A basket by Tom Hamilton just before the buzzer gave the Cougars a double digit lead, 48-38, at halftime.
- Spring Arbor maintained its lead throughout the second half, but a late 8-2 Lancer run closed the gap to two, 72-70, with 1:16 remaining in the game.
- Grace could not get a potential game-tying shot to go in the closing seconds, and SAU would secure the win at the free throw line.
FOR THE COUGARS
- Brandon Durnell had 18 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Durnell went 7-for-11 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line.
- Paul Marandet finished with 16 points while Jeff Beckman and Luke Barber added 12 points apiece. Barber, who ranks among the best three-point shooters in the country, went 4-for-4 from behind the arc.
- Spring Arbor shot 47 percent (30-for-64) on the night and 46 percent (6-for-13) from three-point range. The Cougars did most of their damage down low, scoring 42 of their 76 points in the paint.
FOR THE LANCERS
- Logan Godfrey led the way for Grace with 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
- The Lancers finished shooting 46 percent (27-for-59) from the field.
UP NEXT
Spring Arbor visits Taylor University (3-6, 1-1 CL) on Saturday, Dec. 1. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
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