The host Racers (10-10, 2-1 AMC) got off to a quick start as Jason Sarno scored eight early points and Josh Vorst added five points to give the University of Northwestern a 15-4 lead just over four minutes into the game.

After the lead grew to 31-16 at the 7:00 mark as Kyle Gillette tossed in seven points, the Cougars (12-7, 2-3 AMC) closed the half on an 11-4 run to pull within 35-27 at the break.

Senior guard Dan Borcherdt (left) led MVNU with nine points as he nailed a trio of three-pointers. Senior forward Jadin Thomas added eight points. The Cougars shot just 27.3 percent from the field (9-for-33), 20.0 percent from three-point range (3-for-15), and 85.7 percent from the free throw line (6-for-7).

The Racers were led by Sarno with 13 points as he went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. Gillette added 11 points and six rebounds as he went 5-for-6 from the field. Northwestern Ohio shot 46.7 percent from the field (14-for-30), 50.0 percent from three-point range (4-for-8), and 42.9 percent from the free throw line (3-for-7). The Racers also had a 25-18 rebounding advantage.

The Cougars’ comeback attempt took a big hit in the first minute of the second half as Sarno nailed back-to-back three-pointers and Gillette added a basket as Northwestern Ohio’s lead grew to 43-27 with just 58 seconds gone by.

A 7-0 run by MVNU pulled the Cougars back within 43-34 by the 17:15 mark as junior post Bryce Sanborn made a basket and senior wing Andy Francis scored five points.

However, a 19-5 run by the Racers over the next six minutes pushed the deficit to 62-39 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game as DeMarcus Jackson led the surge with eight points.

From that point on, Northwestern Ohio was able to maintain at least a 17-point lead the rest of the way as the Racers prevailed 76-56 to avenge a 97-58 non-conference loss at MVNU earlier in the year.

“This was not a good day for the Cougars,” said MVNU coach Scott Flemming. “We really struggled shooting the ball and (Northwestern Ohio) was very consistent from the perimeter. Road games are never easy in this league and you have to find a way to overcome the odds. We were not able to do that today. They played very well and we did not bring our best effort. It was frustrating after really playing well in the previous three games.”

Borcherdt led the Cougars with 11 points and five rebounds, while Thomas finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Senior guard Ben Falkenberg contributed nine points, and Francis grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds to go with five points. MVNU shot just 27.1 percent for the game (19-for-70), 12.0 percent from three-point range (3-for-25) including going 0-for-10 in the second half, and 75.0 percent from the free throw line (15-for-20).

Sarno poured in a game-high 24 points on 6-of-7 shooting from three-point range to lead the Racers, while Gillette posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Northwestern Ohio shot 47.7 percent from the field (31-for-65), 52.9 percent from three-point range (9-for-17), and 45.5 percent from the free throw line (5-for-11). The Racers also out-rebounded the Cougars 49-42.

MVNU will look to snap its two-game losing skid on Tuesday night when the Cougars host Notre Dame College in another AMC game that will tip off at 7:30 p.m.