ADRIAN , Mich. – The Madonna University men's basketball team led by as many as 11 points with less than 10 minutes to play, but a late surge by Siena Heights University led to overtime where the Saints prevailed in an 84-80 loss for the Crusaders at the SHU Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.

The loss, the second in a row on a tough road swing for the Crusaders, drops MU to 8-4 on the year and 3-3 in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play while the Saints improve to 8-4 overall and 6-1 in league action.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• It was a back and forth first half the the teams trading baskets for most of the opening 20 minutes. Madonna led for the majority of the opening stanza and took the largest lead of the period, six points, at the 12:45 mark on a Dwight Burton 3-pointer and two KJ Sayer free throws.  The Blue and Gold saw the lead cut to one as they went four minutes without a score, but a Jonathan Swift jumper pushed the margin back to three and a Joshua Reynolds jumper at the buzzer gave the visitors a 29-25 lead at the half.
• Madonna came out fast in the second half and quickly pushed the lead back to six, 36-30. A 7-2 run by the Crusaders, capped by a Mark Metter jumper, pushed the advantage to a game-high 11 with 7:09 to play. MU led by 11 again, 62-51, with 4:57 to play, but the Saints responded with a 16-5 run to close regulation tied at 67. MU had one last chance to win in regulation, but a Swift layup came up short at the buzzer.
• The overtime period featured 12 shots and 20 free throws. The home team went 9-of-10 from the charity stripe in the extra time while MU converted 7-of-10 in the four-point loss.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Swift finished with a team-high 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting while Burton (17), Reynolds (16) and Sayer (10) also finished in double figures
• Reynolds grabbed a team-best nine rebounds while Mettie collected eight and Sayer grabbed seven
• Mettie also had three blocks while Reynolds paced the team with two assists
• Madonna finished 4-of-20 from the 3-point arc, the fewest makes from long range this season and tied for the lowest percentage of the year (.200). The 28 made shots and 20 made free throws are season highs in a loss as MU finished 43.8 percent (28-of-64) from the field and 74.1 percent (20-of-27) from the free throw line.
• The Saints 24 made free throws and 28 attempts are the second most allowed by MU this season

UP NEXT

• Madonna returns to the MU Activities Center, where they are 5-1 on the season, for the final WHAC game of the semester on Saturday, Dec. 15 as No. 16 Indiana Tech comes to town. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.
• Live coverage will be available on the Madonna Athletics Network at www.mucrusaders.com/live.

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