The game went back and forth over the first seven minutes with six lead changes and two ties as MVNU (19-5, 6-4 AMC South) held a slim 16-15 advantage. Junior wing Andy Francis (left) nailed two early treys and junior forward Jadin Thomas added five points to lead the Cougars, who are ranked No. 15 in the latest NAIA Division II poll.

Three points from Thomas and a three-pointer by junior guard Ben Falkenberg gave MVNU a 22-15 lead at the 12:10 mark. However, the host Bears (12-12, 6-4 AMC South) used three-pointers from Wes Jordan and Keelyn Franklin to close the gap to 24-23 with 9:03 left in the half.

A three-pointer by senior forward Evan Yates at the 8:46 mark started a 22-6 run by the Cougars to close the half as MVNU took a 46-29 advantage to the locker room at the break. Falkenberg led the way with seven points, while Yates added six points with a pair of treys.

Thomas led the Cougars with 12 points in the first half, while Falkenberg added 10 points. Francis tossed in eight points, and senior post Connor Gregg and Yates contributed seven and six points respectively. MVNU shot 48.6 percent from the field (17-for-35), 52.9 percent from three-point range (9-for-17), and 75.0 percent from the free throw line (3-for-4). The Cougars also committed just three first-half turnovers and forced nine.

Justin Patrick led Shawnee State with seven first-half points, while Jordan, Franklin, and Jason Overbeck each tossed in five points. The Bears shot 40.0 percent from the field (10-for-25), 33.3 percent from three-point range (3-for-9), and 85.7 percent from the free throw line (6-for-7).

MVNU took control of the game to start the second half as the Cougars went on an 8-2 run over the first two minutes to increase their lead to 54-31. Gregg completed a three-point play, junior guard Dan Borcherdt drilled a three-pointer, and Thomas (right) threw down a highlight-reel dunk.

From there, the closest that Shawnee State would get the rest of the way would be 21 points on three different occasions as MVNU cruised to the 87-48 victory by out-scoring the Bears 41-19 in the second half. The final score represented the Cougars’ largest lead of the game.

There was one significant moment in the middle of the second half, though. At the 11:29 mark, Falkenberg hit the first of two free throws to move past the late Ron Holmes and into seventh place on MVNU’s career scoring list. Holmes’ mark of 1,824 points had represented the most points ever scored by a Cougar in a three-year career as he registered the total in 100 career games. Falkenberg, who finished the game with 1,832 career points, accomplished the feat in 91 career games.

Falkenberg (left) led all scorers with 21 points in the game to go with five rebounds and three assists. Thomas added a double-double of 17 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while Gregg tossed in 16 points on 7-for-7 shooting from the field. Borcherdt finished with 11 points, and Francis contributed eight points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Yates tallied six points, and freshman post Adam Grimm scored four points off the bench. MVNU shot 51.6 percent from the field (32-for-62), 50.0 percent from three-point range (14-for-28), and just 47.4 percent from the free throw line (9-for-19).

“This was great basketball for 40 minutes,” said head coach Scott Flemming. “We came out and controlled the boards and the defensive end. We scored in the half court and in transition. Our guys were looking for a better shot all game long. We showed the kind of emotion and energy that you need at this time in the season. I am really proud of all of our players.”

Patrick and Aaron Davis both finished with eight points apiece to lead the Bears, while Overbeck scored seven points. Shawnee State shot just 32.7 percent from the field (17-for-52), 22.2 percent from three-point range (4-for-18), and 58.8 percent from the free throw line (10-for-17). The Bears committed 17 turnovers to just seven for the Cougars.

MVNU will return to action on Tuesday when the Cougars will host AMC South Division-leading Walsh University at 7:30 p.m. The Cavaliers (20-3, 9-1 AMC South), who are ranked No. 3 in NAIA Division II, will be looking to clinch at least a share of the AMC South Division title with a win as they currently have a three-game lead in the standings with four games to play.