THE BASICS
WHAC Quarterfinals
Score: #14 Madonna University 93, Siena Heights University 66
Records: Madonna (23-8), Siena Heights (31-18)
Location: MU Activities Center - Livonia, Mich.
Turning Point: 12-0 MU run midway through the second half
LIVONIA, Mich. - The 14th-ranked and second-seeded Madonna University men's basketball team got 40 points from Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Player of the Year,
Dwight Burton, and pulled away in the second half of a 93-66 win over seventh-seeded Siena Heights in the first round of the WHAC tournament on Wednesday night inside the MU Activities Center.
Not only do the Crusaders advance to the WHAC semifinals for the second straight season, but the win is also number 300 in program history.
The Crusaders seemed to be in control early as they jumped out to a 14-2 lead, but the Saints quickly responded with a 10-2 run of their own to cut the lead to four. A Joshua Reynolds 3-pointer ended the run and the lead remained in the single-digits until back-to-back Burton threes at the 10:10 mark pushed the lead to 12, 29-17. Siena Heights cut the lead back to eight with 4:35 left in the half, but the Blue and Gold closed the half on a 13-2 run, capped by a Mark Mettie dunk, to take a 50-32 lead into the break.
A 20-10 run by the Adrian program cut the margin back to eight, 60-52, with 11:25 to play. That's when the game turned as Juwan Hampton converted a layup and sparked an 12-0 run for the home team to push the lead to 20, 72-52. MU pushed the lead to a game-high 30 on a Noah Campbell jumper before SHU hit a 3-point in the final minute for the 93-66 final.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- This is the second time this season Burton has scored 40 points or more as the senior finished 13-of-21 from the field, 7-fo-10 from beyond the 3-point arc and 7-of-9 at the free-throw line...He also had five rebounds
- Reynolds added 21 points and grabbed six rebounds while Mettie finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks, it's his team-best sixth double-double this season
- Madonna dominated the paint where they outscored the Saints 46-24
CRUSADER VISION
MILESTONE WATCH
- Tonight's win was No. 300 in program history
- Madonna's 22 wins are the third-most in a single season behind last year's 23 and the 2012-13 team's program-record 25
- Reynolds remains fifth on the all-time scoring list with 1,562 career points
- He is the sixth player in program history to score 1,500 points
- Burton remains ninth on the all-time scoring list with 1,461 career points, he's 22 shy of Chris Dieker (2013-18) for eighth all-time
- Burtons has achieved the feat in 63 games, the only player in the top-10 to play in less than 90 career games
UP NEXT
- The Crusaders will host three-seed Rochester University in the WHAC Semifinals on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 3 p.m.
- Live coverage of the game will be available via the Madonna Athletics Network at www.mucrusaders.com/live.
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