SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – In a tightly contested matchup between two of the Crossroads League's top programs, the No. 21 ranked Spring Arbor University women's basketball came up just short in a 53-50 loss to No. 6 University of Saint Francis on Saturday at the McDonald Athletic Center.
 
The defeat snaps SAU's four-game winning streak and dips the team's record to 16-3 overall and 7-2 in conference play.
 
The game was decided in the final seconds. Trailing 52-50 with 11 seconds remaining, SAU had a chance to take the lead, but Haven Chapman's potential go-ahead 3-point attempt rattled out. Spring Arbor was forced to foul, and Saint Francis split a pair of free throws to extend the margin to three. The Cougars had one last chance, but Ashley Weller's three-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark.
 
Megan Zeitz led the Cougars with 19 points while Chapman added 10 points and five rebounds. Emma Smieska chipped in seven points and four boards.
 
Defensively, Spring Arbor was active throughout, forcing Saint Francis into a season-high 26 turnovers and controlling the paint with a 30-14 scoring advantage inside. However, the Cougars were unable to overcome the visitors' perimeter shooting, as Saint Francis connected on nine 3-pointers in the contest.
 
Spring Arbor will look to bounce back when it travels to Huntington University (14-5, 6-3 CL) on Saturday, Jan. 24.