THE BASICS
Score: #9 Madonna University 72, Siena Heights University 74
Records: Madonna (7-4, 2-2 WHAC), Siena Heights (4-6, 2-2 WHAC)
Location: MU Activities Center - Livonia, Mich. 
Turning Point: 6-0 Saints run over the final 1:41
 

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LIVONIA, Mich.- The ninth-ranked Madonna University men's basketball team overcame a 13-point deficit and led with 1:41 to play, but a missed 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Siena Heights University a 74-72 win inside the MU Activities Center on Saturday afternoon.

Joshua Reynolds led the Crusaders with 25 points while Henry Speight netted 15 and grabbed 10 rebounds. Dwight Burton added 13 points and dished out six assists. Madonna finished the contest shooting 44.4 percent (24-of-54) from the field after going just 9-of-27 (33.3%) in the first half. The Blue and Gold made eight 3-pointers and went 16-of-20 (80%) from the free-throw line. 

The issues came at the defensive end as DeMarco Dickerson led all scorers with 29 points and Keith Jordan Jr. netted 20 as the Saints shot 46.7 percent (28-of-60) from the field, made six three's and went 12-of-15 from the charity stripe. The Saints won inside where they outscored MU 34-28 in the paint. 

It was a close contest early until a 9-0 Saints run pushed the lead to 11, 22-11. The visitors from Adrian led by as many as 13 in the opening half, but MU was able to score seven of the final 10 points to cut the margin to eight, 34-26, at the break.

The Saints pushed the lead back to 11, 43-32, early in the second half, but the Crusaders began to chip away. Burton hit a three, Speight knocked down a pair of free throws and Reynolds converted a layup to cut the deficit to four, 43-39 with 14:03 to play. Siena Heights pushed the lead back to eight and the teams traded baskets until the 9:10 mark when Reynolds hit a 3-pointer that sparked a 14-8 MU run, capped by a Burton layup to tie the game at 62 with 5:42 left. Back-to-back layups from Burton and Reynolds two minutes later gave MU their first lead, 68-67. A Burton layup and pair of Reynolds free throws answered a Saints free throw for a four-point, 72-68, lead with 1:41 to play, but the Crusaders committed two turnovers and missed the final shot of the contest while the Saints went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line and Dickerson hit the game-winning step-back jumper at the top of the key, with 4.8 seconds to play, for the 74-72 margin. 

The loss is the first at home to the Saints since Jan. 6, 2010. The Crusaders are now 21-12 against the Saints all-time and are 1-2 in the last three meetings.
MILESTONE WATCH

• Burton has 981 career points, 19 shy of 1,000 for his career

UP NEXT

• The Blue and Gold return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 4 when they travel to Fort Wayne, Indiana to take on Indiana Tech with tip-off slated for 8 p.m.
• Live coverage links will be available at www.mucrusaders.com. 

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