FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Spring Arbor University men's basketball team closed out the regular season with a heartbreaking 102-100 overtime loss at the University of Saint Francis on Saturday.
 
The Cougars move to 13-15 overall and 6-12 in the Crossroads League, finishing eighth in the conference standings.
 
It was a back-and-forth battle throughout, but Saint Francis appeared to seize control late in regulation, building a 79-67 lead with just 2:55 to play. Spring Arbor refused to go quietly.
 
After trimming the deficit to five, 86-81, with 35 seconds remaining, the Cougars capitalized on missed free throws by the home team. A 3-pointer from Dante Favor followed by a layup from Brandon Trilli pulled SAU within two at 88-86 with 10 seconds left. Another missed free throw by USF left the door open, and David Cundiff delivered in the clutch, burying a contested 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
 
In the extra period, SAU grabbed a 100-97 advantage after Trilli knocked down a triple, but Saint Francis answered with a three of its own to tie the game with under a minute to play. After a defensive stop, the home team drew a foul with three seconds remaining and converted both free throws to escape with the win.
 
Travis Grayson poured in a game-high 28 points to lead Spring Arbor. Favor added 22 points and six rebounds while Trilli recorded a season-best 19 points to go along with eight boards. Branden King also turned in a season-high 13 points.
 
Up next, Spring Arbor shifts its focus to the Crossroads League Tournament. The Cougars are the No. 8 seed and will travel to Winona Lake, Indiana for a quarterfinal matchup against No. 1 seed and regular season champion Grace College on Wednesday, Feb. 25.