MEN’S BASKETBALL

The HU men’s basketball team (11-6, 4-3) erupted for 61 second half points to run away with a 97-80 win over Spring Arbor Saturday afternoon at Platt Arena. Both teams entered the day with identical overall records (10-6) and conference records (3-3). With today’s win, Huntington is tied for fourth with Marian in the league standings while SAU drops into a tie for sixth with Saint Francis.

The Foresters are a perfect 6-0 against the Cougars since Coach Alford took over the reins in 2020.

The first half ended in a 36-36 deadlock as the two squads jockeyed for any sort of advantage. The opening twenty minutes included 11 ties and nine lead changes with no more than one possession separating the two teams except on three brief occasions when the Cougars extended their advantage to five.

HU came out of the locker room with a vengeance to change all that. Drew Goodline, who finished with a pair of triples in the first half, scored five points right out of the gate to spearhead a 9-2 run. It made for a 45-38 lead just over two minutes into the second frame. It wasn’t until the 14:36 mark that double figures separated the two teams for the first time compliments of Gage McGuire’s putback for a 58-47 HU advantage.

The Cougars (10-7, 3-4) hung around for the next eight minutes, trimming it to eight at 72-64 with just over seven minutes to go but then Lane Sparks decided enough was enough. The 6-3 junior guard drained a three on the next trip down the court. He would go on to score six of his team’s next nine points to cushion the lead to 83-68 and effectively put the game out of reach.

Sparks finished with 24 points and a team-leading eight rebounds. Zach Goodline also had a hot hand to pour in a game-best 26 points in addition to dishing out five assists. Landen Jordan racked up 17 points while Drew Goodline added 13.

All five of SAU’s starters finished in double digits behind Travis Grayson’s 18 points. HU held the league’s leading scorer in Gabe Newhof, who came in averaging 26.9 points, to just 14. Kevyn Robertson also tossed in 14 while Trey Cottingham and Dante Favor posted 15 and ten points respectively. Favor also corralled 12 boards to enjoy a double double.

Spring Arbor finished with one more field goal than their hosts, but the difference came behind the arc and at the line. The Foresters canned 13 threes at a clip of 56.5 percent while the Cougars managed just six from long range. HU also won the free throw battle by connecting on 18 of their 23 attempts for 78.3 percent while SAU only found their way to the stripe ten times, cashing in on six.

The Foresters hit the road Wednesday to face Taylor at 7:30 p.m.