The first nine minutes of the game were dead even as there were eight ties and three lead changes with the score knotted at 19-19 as neither team could get more than a three-point cushion.

After the host Lions (4-6) took a 23-19 lead, junior wing Travis Brown, senior guard Ben Falkenberg (left), and senior guard Dan Borcherdt each hit a three-pointer as part of a 10-2 run that gave MVNU (10-4) a 29-25 advantage with 5:05 left in the half.

With the score tied at 29-29, senior forward Jadin Thomas hit back-to-back baskets and then sophomore forward Adam Grimm nailed a jumper at the buzzer as the Cougars took a 35-31 lead to the locker room at the half.

Borcherdt led MVNU with nine first-half points on a trio of three-pointers, while junior post Bryce Sanborn added eight points. The Cougars shot 36.8 percent from the field (14-for-38), 28.6 percent from three-point range (6-for-21), and just 25.0 percent at the free throw line (1-for-4).

Jeremy Carey and Jeremy Bowman both scored eight first-half points to pace Southwestern Assemblies of God, while Al Thompson tossed in seven points. The Lions shot 37.8 percent from the field (14-for-37), 20.0 percent from three-point range (2-for-10), and made their only free throw attempt.

MVNU did not get off to a good start in the second half as Southwestern Assemblies of God used a quick 9-2 run to take a 40-37 lead with less than two minutes gone by.

A three-pointer by Falkenberg knotted the score at 40-40, but the Lions used a 13-8 surge to regain the lead 53-48 with 11:20 to play.

It was at this point that the Cougars got the critical run that would prove to be the turning point in the game. Falkenberg drained back-to-back three-pointers in a span of 36 seconds and senior forward Andy Francis and Grimm each followed with consecutive three-point plays as MVNU used a 12-0 run to go in front 60-53 with 9:45 on the clock.

After Southwestern Assemblies of God closed the gap to 63-59, Thomas made a basket and sophomore guard Brandon Short added a basket and two free throws to push the lead out to 69-59 at the 5:16 mark.

From there, the Cougars maintained their lead as it grew to as much as 79-65 following a rare four-point play by Falkenberg with 3:15 left and two more free throws by Falkenberg with 1:47 to go. Sanborn (right) put the exclamation point on the 81-71 win with a dunk to close out the MVNU scoring.

“This was an important win for us,” said MVNU coach Scott Flemming. “The game was even into the second half when we made a nice run. It was ignited by solid halfcourt defense which led to some transition baskets. During that stretch, we made several ‘and one’ baskets taking the ball to the hole. Ben’s two three-pointers in a row were huge, too. We built a nice lead after that. Once again, our bench gave us good contributions as well.”

Falkenberg finished with 21 points as he was 6-for-8 from three-point range to improve to 53-of-101 so far on the season from long range (52.5 percent). He also added five assists and four rebounds. Sanborn matched his career high with 14 points, while Thomas added 12 points, seven rebounds, and two blocked shots. Borcherdt tossed in 11 points and grabbed a career-high seven rebounds, and Grimm tallied eight points off the bench. The Cougars shot 43.7 percent from the field (31-for-71), 33.3 percent from three-point range (10-for-30), and 52.9 percent from the free throw line (9-for-17).

Thompson led the Lions with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Carey added 14 points and seven rebounds. Gerren Hamilton rounded out the double figure scorers with 12 points and seven assists. Southwestern Assemblies of God shot 44.1 percent from the field (30-for-68), 26.3 percent from three-point range (5-for-19), and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (6-for-9). The Lions also committed 20 turnovers compared to just 13 for MVNU.

The Cougars will now be off for 15 days before returning to action on Saturday, January 3, at Walsh University for the team’s American Mideast Conference opener. The game against the Cavaliers, who are ranked No. 15 in the latest NAIA Division II poll, will begin at 4:00 p.m.