Site: Spring Arbor, Mich. (SAU Field House)
Score: #RV Spring Arbor 77, Madonna 55
Records: MU 0-1; SAU 1-0
Next MU event: Saturday, Oct. 31 vs. Windsor (Spring Arbor, Mich.)
BOX SCORE
SPRING ARBOR, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - Despite a career high 13 points from freshman Kevin Henry (Toledo, Ohio), the Madonna University men's basketball team saw host Spring Arbor open up a 21 point lead with just over nine minutes gone in the second half and the Crusaders could not overcome that deficit, falling by a 77-55 final to the Cougars in the Jamieson-Allen Insurance Agency Tip-Off inside the SAU Field House.
In addition to Henry's 13, senior Leroy Allen (Detroit, Mich.) added 11 and seven rebounds. DJ Basiden led all scorers with 24 for SAU.
MU opened its largest lead of the first half at 9-5 with just over 13 minutes left on a jumper in the lane from junior Ryan Waidmann (Canton, Mich.). SAU responded by going on a 13-1 run over the next five minutes to take the lead back at 18-10. The Cougars increased their lead to 13 with 1:58 left in the half before the Crusaders chipped the deficit down to nine at the break using a free throw and a triple from sophomore Josh Gay (Woodburn, Ind.) to trail 28-19 at the break.
Coming out of intermission Spring Arbor went on a 13-2 run to go up by 19 and never looked back, pushing its lead to as much as 29 at 77-48 with just under a minute to go, winning by the 77-55 final.
MU wraps up its opening weekend of play with a 1pm game against the University of Windsor on Saturday (Oct. 31) at Spring Arbor.
NOTES
* MU is now 5-12 in season openers all-time …
* Head coach Noel Emenhiser became the fourth MU head coach to lose in his debut … All four Crusader head coaches have lost in their debuts …
* The last time MU won a season opener was in 2003 against Rochester College, a 72-70 win when Emenhiser was still a player for the Crusaders …
* MU now trails in the all-time series with SAU 22-5 … The last Crusader win came in the 2003-04 season under then head coach Bernie Holowicki …
