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76
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU 23-5, 13-3 CL
85
Winner Bethel (Ind.) BC 20-8, 9-7 CL
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU
23-5, 13-3 CL
76
Final
85
Bethel (Ind.) BC
20-8, 9-7 CL
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Spring Arbor (Mich.) SAU 30 46 76
Bethel (Ind.) BC 38 47 85

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Furious comeback comes up short as Men's Basketball falls to Bethel

MISHAWAKA, Ind. – The Spring Arbor University men's basketball team made a furious comeback to cut a double-digit deficit to three with less than a minute to play, but No. 17 Bethel College was able to hold off the late charge and escape with an 85-76 win over the No. 3 ranked Cougars.

It was the first time this season that Spring Arbor dropped back-to-back games. The Cougars are now 23-5 overall and tied at the top of the Crossroads League standings with Indiana Wesleyan University with a 13-3 mark in league play with two games to go.

 
 

THE BASCIS

FINAL SCORE: No. 3 Spring Arbor 76, No. 17 Bethel 85

LOCATION: Wiekamp Athletic Center | Mishawaka, Ind.

RECORDS: Spring Arbor 23-5 (13-3 CL), Bethel 20-8 (9-7 CL)

 
 

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Spring Arbor led 20-17 at the 8:05 mark of the first half, but Bethel used an 11-0 run over the next four minutes to jump in front, and the Pilots would never surrender the lead.
  • The two teams went back and forth through the second half trading baskets, but Bethel maintained its lead.
  • Bethel was clinging to a seven point lead with 5:18 to go until a quick 6-0 scoring spurt gave the Pilots their largest lead of the afternoon, 74-61.
  • Spring Arbor trailed by 12, 78-66, with 1:57 remaining when Tom Hamilton converted back-to-back old-fashioned three-point plays as part of a 10-1 SAU run over the next 60 seconds.
  • Bethel took advantage of its trips to the free throw line down the stretch though, making 7-of-8 attempts to hang on.

 
 

FOR THE COUGARS

  • Paul Marandet scored 21 points and Luke Barber poured in 17 while knocking down five three-pointers. Brandon Durnell finished with 16 points and seven rebounds.
  • Spring Arbor shot 45 percent (27-for-60) on the afternoon, but was held to just 29 percent (8-for-28) from three-point range. The Cougars also went 14-for-15 from the free throw line.

 
 

FOR THE PILOTS

  • Trey'von Covington recorded a career-high 38 points on 13-of-16 shooting and 11-for-12 on his free throw attempts.
  • Bethel shot 60 percent (29-for-48) from the field, the best shooting percentage by a team against SAU this season. The Pilots were also 23-for-26 from the free throw line.

 
 

UP NEXT

The top-two teams in the Crossroads League will square off on Tuesday, Feb. 12 when Spring Arbor travels to Marion, Indiana to take on No. 5 ranked Indiana Wesleyan (24-4, 13-3 CL).

 
 

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