LIVONIA, Mich. – For the second straight night it was a large run in the second half that propelled the Madonna University men's basketball team to a win in the Bernie Holowicki Memorial Classic. On Saturday evening it amounted to an 81-72 victory over NAIA Preseason No. 2 Indiana University East inside a packed MU Activities Center.
The win, which secured the classic title for the Crusaders, is the third on the year for MU while the Red Wolves fall to 2-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED
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The first half was a busy one for the lead as it changed hands three times with five times in a 37-34 opening 20 minutes. It was the Crusaders who dictated the pace early on and led by as many as six points for the majority of the period, but a late run by the Richmond, Indiana program saw them take the three point lead into the break.
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Jonathan Swift, an All-Classic team selection and Classic MVP Dwight Burton combined to net the first five points in the second half and erase the deficit. The teams traded baskets until the 15:46 mark when a Joshua Reynolds 3-pointer brought Madonna within one and sparked a 19-5 run that put the Crusaders up 10. Reynolds accounted for seven while Burton and Swift each added five points for a 60-50 lead with 9:10 to play. The Red Wolves scored the next seven to cut the lead to three, but a pair of Swift free throws and a Burton fast break layup push the lead back to seven. The Blue and Gold went 8-for-8 from the charity stripe over the final minute to secure the upset.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
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Madonna shot 45 percent (27-of-60) from the floor, 30 percent (6-of-20) from beyond the arc and 77.8 percent (21-of-27) at the line which included a 12-for-12 second half. The Red Wolves finished 26-of-61 (42.6%) from the field, 7-of-23 (30.4%) from three and 13-of-19 (68.4%) at the stripe.
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MU won on the glass, 38-37 and turned 17 IU-East turnovers into 21 points while the visitors had just 10 points off turnovers
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Burton finished with a game-high 24 points to go with seven rebounds and three assists
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Swift added 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals
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Mark Mettie poured in 16 points and grabbed five boards while Reynolds added 12 points
SUPERLATIVES
NOEL'S NOTIONS
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"I'm really proud of our guys and their effort, especially defensively. There was concern after the way we defended last night, but to their credit they stepped up to the challenge, understood and executed our gameplan. I felt we made it difficult on IU-East to get comfortable and played with a lot of poise. Every time they made a run we answered back with enthusiasm and without fear. Today was a step forward for us. Although we have a lot of work to go to get to where we want to be, this was a great start." - Head Coach Noel Emenhiser
CRUSADER VISION
UP NEXT
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The Crusaders host one of the top teams in the NCAA III on Wednesday, Nov. 7 as Olivet College comes to town. Tip-off is schedule for 7 p.m. inside the MU Activities Center.
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Live video and stats will be provided via the Madonna Athletics Network at www.mucrusaders.com/live.
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