Dwight Burton run son a fast break - crusaders beat saints 73-59
73
Winner Madonna MU 5-2, 1-0
59
Aquinas AQ 1-5, 0-1
Winner
Madonna MU
5-2, 1-0
73
Final
59
Aquinas AQ
1-5, 0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Madonna MU 35 38 73
Aquinas AQ 33 26 59

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Zachary Shore

Burton, No. 9 @MUCrusadersMBB pull away from Saints in WHAC opener

THE BASICS
Score: #9 Madonna University 73, Aquinas 59
Records: Madonna (5-2, 1-0 WHAC), Aquinas (1-5, 0-1 WHAC)
Location: Sturrus Center, Grand Rapids, Mich.
 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The ninth-ranked Madonna University men's basketball team used a late second half run to pull away from Aquinas College in the teams Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference opener inside the Sturrus Center on Saturday afternoon, 73-59. 

The Crusaders (5-2, 1-0 WHAC), powered by 10 points from Dwight Burton, jumped out to a 14-4 lead over the Saints (1-5, 0-1 WHAC) in the first five and a half minutes of play. Aquinas responded by scoring 18 of the next 27 points to cut the lead to one, 23-22. Three-pointers from Burton and Caleb Drumm and a Ryan McMullen layup accounted for an 8-2 MU run to push the lead back to six. AQ ended the half on an 8-2 run to make it a two-point, 35-33, game at the half. 

Burton began the second half with five consecutive points and KJ Sayer added a layup to push the lead to nine, 42-33. The Saints responded again with a 17-7 run to cut the advantage to one, 51-50 with 10:39 to play. Joshua Reynolds hit a 3-pointer to push the lead back to four and over the next 7:27 the MU defense forced four turnovers and held the Saints to 1-for-10 shooting. During that stretch, the Crusaders used an 18-3 run to take a game-high 16-point lead, 69-53. Four more Burton points helped maintain the lead as the Crusaders won their WHAC opener 73-59. 

TURNING POINT
  • An 18-3 run from 10:18 in the second half to 2:51
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
  • Burton again led MU with 29 points while Reynolds finished with 14 and Drumm added 10. 
  • Henry Speight led MU with 10 rebounds and added eight points
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
  • 2013: This is the Crusaders first WHAC opener win since 2013 over Indiana Tech, they had last the past five conference openers
  • 15-19: Madonna is now 15-19 against the Saints, but have won the last three meetings
  • 3/13:  The biggest difference in the game came at the 3-point arc as the Crusaders finished 13-of-23 (56.5%) from long range while the Saints made 3-of-23 (13%)
  • 56.5:  The Crusaders 3-point percentage is the second-best single-game mark in program history behind only the 1995 team which made 11-of-19 (57.9%)
MILESTONE WATCH
  • Burton has 914 career points, 86 shy of 1,000 for his career
NOEL'S NOTIONS
  • "We really responded to the physicality and toughness that Aquinas brought in the first half. It was a hard fought second half and our ability to defend and rebound was the difference. I'm really proud of our players' resiliency, effort and desire to sacrifice for the success of the team. The guys did a great job tonight." - Head Coach Noel Emenhiser on the win
UP NEXT
  • The Blue and Gold return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 20 when they travel to Sylvania, Ohio to face Lourdes University at 8 p.m. 
  • Live coverage links will be available at www.mucrusaders.com. 
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