LIVONIA, Mich. - The Madonna University football team dropped an overtime heartbreaker 44-37 on Saturday to the Missouri Baptist University Spartans from Churchill High School. After the visitors opened overtime with a touchdown pass, the Crusaders were unable to find the endzone and the Spartans escaped with the victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Madonna won the opening toss and received the kickoff. It took just five plays for the hosts to reach the endzone, as a 64-yard rush by Arthur Brantley IV set up a one-yard touchdown reception by D'vonta Garrett. After the Spartans received the kickoff, it took one play to tie things at 7-7, as Darius Morrison took his first handoff of the game and ran it 65 yards to the endzone. 

The Crusaders responded quickly, as Brantley found Novell Chestnut for a 73-yard catch and run to the endzone. Missouri Baptist followed that up with a field goal by Jonah Cox to make the score 14-10 with 9:31 remaining in the first quarter. 

After a Madonna punt, Missouri Baptist put together an eight play, 61-yard drive that ended with Morrison's second touchdown of the game, allowing the Spartans to take a 17-14 lead. The lead increased to 24-14 when the Spartans forced the Crusaders to punt and then drove down the field in 10 plays, capped off by a Ronald Allen one-yard touchdown run. 

Down 10 points at the start of the second quarter, Brantley led the offense down field and capped off a nine play, 75-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Luke Pfromm. Later in the quarter, Madonna got to within one point thanks to a field goal by William Stoyanovich. 

With 1:50 remaining in the half, the Crusaders drove all the way to the Spartans eight yard line, but were unable to get in the endzone, allowing Missouri Baptist to take a 24-23 lead into the halftime break.

The Spartans opened the second half with the ball, but were unable to do anything on offense as the Crusader defense forced a punt. Following a three-and-out by Madonna, Missouri Baptist quarterback Ashton Strother's pass was intercepted by Cortland Cochran at midfield and returned to the Spartan five-yard line.

Madonna was able to get points and take a 26-24 lead following a 42-yard field goal by Stoyanovich. 

Following that, the defense again stepped up and forced a Missouri Baptist three-and-out. A 37-yard return by Jacob Ireland set the Crusaders up in great field position, but the Spartan defense stood tall and forced another field goal by Stoyanovich. 

Heading into the final quarter, the Crusaders led 29-24, but the Spartans capped off a 12 play, 73-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Morrison. After the failed two-point conversion, the Spartans held a 30-29 advantage with 11:45 remaining in regulation. 

Brantley and the Madonna offense responded with a seven play drive that went 75 yards. It ended when Brantley found Garrett in the back of the endzone from 17-yards out. Following a successful two-point conversion thanks to a Josh DePaulis pass to Emerson Combs, the Crusaders took a 37-30 with just under 10 minutes to play. 

Missouri Baptist responded with a game tying nine play, 79-yard drive. Strother's 24-yard touchdown pass to Gavin Claud made it 37-36, before the PAT by Jonah Cox tied the game at 37-37 with 5:39 left to play. 

Both teams traded punts following the score, and with 26 seconds remaining, Madonna had a chance to get the go-ahead score as they drove into Missouri Baptist territory, but the offense ran out of time and set up the first overtime game in program history for the Crusaders. 

Missouri Baptist opened on offense to begin overtime, and Strother capitalized on it, finding Kameron Sloan in the endzone from 18 yards out on 3rd and 3 for the go-ahead score. Following Cox's extra point, the score was 44-37. Madonna needed a touchdown and PAT to keep the game going, but back-to-back sacks by the Spartan defense allowed them to hold on for the win. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 

• The 37 points by the Crusaders is a program record.
• Brantley was 17-of-36 passing, throwing for 259 yards and a school record four touchdowns. 
• Novell Chestnut recorded four catches for a school record 141 receiving yards and a touchdown, while D'Vonta Garrett had six receptions for 74 yards and two touchdowns.
• Dalen Cobb and Jakel Davis led the defense with 10 tackles each, while Cortland Cochran and Jesse Morris each recorded an interception.  

UP NEXT:

Madonna travels to Judson University to take on the Eagles at 3:00 p.m. eastern next Saturday, September 24th. The game will be played at Dundee-Crown High School in Elgin, Illinois.