Box Score LIVONIA, Mich. — Madonna University erased a halftime deficit behind a dominant second half from DeAntwan Randall and closed out a tight finish at the free-throw line to defeat Lourdes 84-79 on Feb. 28 in Livonia.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Trailing 42-35 at the break, the Crusaders outscored Lourdes 49-37 over the final 20 minutes, leaning on interior strength and timely perimeter shooting to flip the game. Randall anchored the comeback with 28 points and 19 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass, as Madonna finished with a 38-35 edge on the boards and generated repeated second-chance opportunities.

Lourdes controlled much of the first half, using early energy and a balanced attack to build a lead. A dunk by Stephen Coleman Jr. put Lourdes ahead 7-6, and a 3-pointer from Jayden Jones stretched the margin to 25-22. Madonna trimmed the gap late when Josh Waun buried a 3-pointer to make it 40-35, but Adonus Abrams answered with a layup at the buzzer to restore a seven-point cushion at halftime.

Madonna quickly reset the tone after the break. Early in the second half, Ahmoni Weston drilled a 3-pointer to tie the game 42-42, signaling the momentum shift. Although Lourdes briefly moved back in front behind a 3-pointer from Derek Fairley and an Abrams layup that made it 50-45, the Crusaders responded with defensive stops and stronger work on the glass, gradually taking control. Madonna's offense found better balance, with Randall scoring inside and Weston facilitating from the perimeter. The game tightened again in the closing seconds. With Madonna leading by six in the final moments, Fairley kept Lourdes alive by knocking down three free throws to cut the deficit to 82-79 with one second left. On the ensuing possession, Lourdes was forced to foul, and Joey Liedel calmly converted two free throws to push the margin back to five and seal the 84-79 victory.

Randall's stat line led all players, highlighted by a 10-for-14 performance at the line and relentless work on the boards. Weston complemented him with 20 points, six assists and four rebounds in 34 minutes, helping the Crusaders overcome nearly identical overall shooting percentages by generating more quality trips to the stripe. Madonna finished 27-for-36 at the free-throw line, while Lourdes went 17-for-23.
Fairley paced Lourdes with 28 points, five rebounds and two assists on 10-of-25 shooting. Coleman produced a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Abrams added 15 points and four assists as Lourdes shot 41.8% from the field. However, Madonna's late-game composure, rebounding edge and 49-point second half proved to be the difference in a closely contested matchup.

UP NEXT:

The Crusaders will be back in action for the WHAC Tournament Championship at home  on Tuesday, March 3rd to face off against Rochester Christian University. Tip off is set for 7:00 PM