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91
Winner Bethel (Ind.) BC 10-0, 2-0 CL
89
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU 6-3, 1-1 CL
Winner
Bethel (Ind.) BC
10-0, 2-0 CL
91
Final
89
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU
6-3, 1-1 CL
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Bethel (Ind.) BC 41 50 91
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU 40 49 89

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Bethel sinks Men's Basketball on last-second shot in Top 25 battle

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 7 ranked Spring Arbor University men's basketball team suffered a hard-fought 91-89 loss to No. 19 Bethel University on Tuesday night inside the McDonald Athletic Center.

Spring Arbor erased an 11-point deficit in the final minutes, taking an 89-88 lead with just seven seconds remaining. However, Bethel's TreVion Crews, who posted a game-high 39 points, answered with a game-winning three-pointer before the buzzer.

The Cougars were led by Paul Marandet's 28 points and five assists. Payton DeWildt finished with 20 points and six rebounds while Jeff Beckman had 17 points, seven boards and five assists.

The setback dropped SAU to 6-3 overall and 1-1 in the Crossroads League while Bethel remained undefeated, improving to 10-0 on the season with a 2-0 mark in league play.

 
 

THE BASICS

FINAL SCORE: No. 7 Spring Arbor 89, No. 19 Bethel 91

LOCATION: McDonald Athletic Center | Spring Arbor, Mich.

RECORDS: Spring Arbor 6-3 (1-1 CL), Bethel 10-0 (2-0 CL)

 
 

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • A thrilling game between two of the country's best teams came down to the final seconds.
  • Spring Arbor erased an 11-point deficit with a 17-5 run over a span of 3:37. A three-pointer by Luke Barber closed the gap to one, 88-87, with nine seconds left. Then, on the ensuing inbound pass by Bethel, Barber came up with a key steal allowing Payton DeWildt to score the go-ahead bucket with seven seconds left on the clock.
  • The Pilots answered, however, as Crews, the reigning NAIA Player of the Week, sank a three to put the visitors back on top, 91-89.
  • Spring Arbor had one last chance with just 1.5 seconds remaing, but Paul Marandet's half-court shot came up empty.
  • SAU shot 52 percent (35-for-67) from the field compared to Bethel's 45 percent (35-fory-77), but the Pilots made 12 three-pointers.

 
 

FOR THE COUGARS

  • Marandet led the way for Spring Arbor with 28 points. The senior guard was limited to four points in the first half after getting into foul trouble, but erupted for 24 points in the second half going 7-for-8 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line.
  • DeWildt finished with 20 points and six rebounds while Jeff Beckman added a season-high 17 points, seven boards and five assists.
  • Spring Arbor connected on 52 percent (35-for-67) and was 14-for-18 from the free throw line, but had one of its worst shooting nights from 3-point range this season going 5-for-16 from behind the arc.

 
 

FOR THE PILOTS

  • Crews finished with 39 points on 13-of-20 shooting, including going 6-for-7 from the 3-point line. His triple in the closing seconds was his second straight game-winning three-pointer after delivering the shot to beat No. 24 ranked Saint Francis (Ind.).
  • Grant Gelon was the only other Pilot to score in double figures, ending the night with 10 points.
  • Bethel shot 45 percent (35-for-77) overall and 46 percent (12-for-26) from 3-point range.

 
 

UP NEXT

Spring Arbor travels to No. 4 ranked Mount Vernon Nazarene University (9-1, 1-1 CL) on Saturday, Dec. 7.

 
 

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