HUNTINGTON, Ind. – The No. 1 ranked Spring Arbor University men's basketball team led from start to finish in an 88-78 win over Huntington University in its Crossroads League opener on Tuesday night.
Brandon Durnell scored a game-high 28 points. Luke Barber followed with a season-best 22, including six 3-pointers, and Payton DeWildt dropped a career-high 19.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: No. 1 Spring Arbor 88, Huntington 78
LOCATION: Huntington University | Huntington, Ind.
RECORDS: Spring Arbor 6-2 (1-0 CL), Huntington 4-4 (0-1 CL)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Spring Arbor shot a sizzling 63 percent in the first half. No Cougar was hotter from the field than senior sharp-shooter Luke Barber, who buried five 3-pointers. Barber knocked down triples on three consecutive trips down the floor during a key stretch late in the first half to help give SAU a commanding 44-30 advantage at halftime.
- Huntington made a push coming out of the break. The Foresters made nine of their first 12 shots to close the gap to two, 53-51, at the 13:15 mark.
- Brandon Durnell stopped the home team's run by converting an old-fashioned three-point play, which ignited a 10-0 run by the Cougars. Spring Arbor would maintain a comfortable margin the rest of the way.
FOR THE COUGARS
- Durnell was 10-for-14 from the field and 8-for-11 from the free throw line on his way to 28 points – his fifth 20-point performance this season.
- Barber finished the night with 22 points going 6-for-7 from downtown. DeWildt added 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting.
- Jeff Beckman scored nine points and pulled down eight rebounds. Paul Marandet came close to a triple-double with eight points, eight assists and six boards.
- Spring Arbor shot 62 percent (33-for-53) on the night. The Cougars dominated the glass, out-rebounding Huntington 35-17.
FOR THE FORESTERS
- Peyton West and Konner Platt paced Huntington with 23 and 20 points, respectively.
- The Foresters were 33-for-64 from the field for a 52 percent shooting percentage.
UP NEXT
Spring Arbor will host Bethel University (9-0, 1-0 CL) on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.
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