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79
Winner Mount Vernon Nazarene (Oh MVNU 23-4, 11-4 CL
59
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU 23-4, 13-2 CL
Winner
Mount Vernon Nazarene (Oh MVNU
23-4, 11-4 CL
79
Final
59
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU
23-4, 13-2 CL
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Mount Vernon Nazarene (Oh MVNU 48 31 79
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU 30 29 59

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Cougars fall in Top 10 showdown with Mount Vernon Nazarene

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 3 ranked Spring Arbor University men's basketball team saw its nine-game winning streak come to an end, falling to No. 6 Mount Vernon Nazarene University 79-59 on Tuesday evening inside the McDonald Athletic Center.

One of the best shooting teams in the Crossroads League, Mount Vernon Nazarene shot 54 percent from the field and made 12 three-pointers – the most against SAU in a single-game this year – to hand the Cougars their first home loss of the season.

 
 

THE BASICS

FINAL SCORE: No. 3 Spring Arbor 59, No. 6 Mount Vernon Nazarene 79

LOCATION: McDonald Athletic Center | Spring Arbor, Mich.

RECORDS: Spring Arbor 23-4 (13-2 CL), Mount Vernon Nazarene 23-4 (11-4 CL)

 
 

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Spring Arbor suffered its first home loss of the season on Tuesday night. The Cougars, who rank among the league leaders in most defensive categories, allowed a season-high 12 three-pointers against a red-hot shooting Mount Vernon Nazarene squad.
  • SAU also had trouble finding its rhythm on the offensive end, scoring a season-low 59 points and suffering one of its worst shooting performances of the year.
  • Mount Vernon Nazarene held a slim four point lead with 5:36 remaining in the first half before an explosive 10-0 run over a 1:35 span gave the visitors a commanding double-digit advantage. MVNU expanded the margin to 18 before halftime and took a 48-30 advantage into the locker room.
  • Spring Arbor made a push to early in the second half. Brandon Durnell made back-to-back triples to close the gap to 12, 51-39. However, MVNU responded making six of its next seven shots, including a pair of three's, to halt the Cougar run and end any hopes of a comeback.

 
 

FOR SPRING ARBOR

  • Durnell scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed six rebounds.
  • Jeff Beckman notched his eighth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds. With his 12 boards, Beckman joined became the 23rd player in program history to reach 600 career rebounds.
  • Spring Arbor shot 41 percent (22-for-53) overall and 28 percent (5-for-18) from three-point range.

 
 

FOR MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE

  • Five Mount Vernon Nazarene players reached double figures. Austin Jones scored a team-high 17 points and Brett Vipperman had 14 to lead the way.
  • MVNU finished the night shooting 54 percent (32-for-59) overall and 54 percent (12-for-22) from behind the arc.

 
 

UP NEXT

Spring Arbor will play its next two games on the road, both against nationally ranked opponents. The Cougars travel to No. 17 Bethel College (19-8, 8-7 CL) on Saturday, Feb. 9 before a crucial matchup at No. 5 Indiana Wesleyan University (23-4, 12-3 CL) on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

 
 

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