The host Cougars (20-7, 8-3 AMC), who are ranked No. 17 in the latest NAIA Division II poll, were cold from the field to start the game as MVNU went just 2-for-13 over the first 11 and a half minutes as the visiting Highlanders (8-14, 3-6 AMC) built a 17-6 lead with 8:40 to go.

Then, the Cougars used a 15-2 run over the next seven minutes as MVNU took its only lead of the first half 21-19 on a layup by senior forward Jadin Thomas with 1:42 to play before halftime. Senior guard Ben Falkenberg (left) had converted his sixth three-point play of the season to knot the score at 19-19, and Thomas added four points during the comeback.

Houghton responded, though, as the Highlanders scored the final four points of the half to go to the locker room at the break up 23-21. Ryan Shay nailed a three-pointer, while Bruce Hourhess went 1-for-2 at the free throw line.

Falkenberg led the Cougars with eight first-half points, while Thomas tossed in six points. MVNU shot just 26.9 percent from the field (7-for-26), 20.0 percent from three-point range (3-for-15), and 44.4 percent from the free throw line (4-for-9).

Ryan Shay paced Houghton with seven points in the first half, while Yannick Anzuluni grabbed 12 rebounds to help the Highlanders to a 24-16 lead on the glass. Houghton shot 36.0 percent from the field (9-for-25), 18.2 percent from three-point range (2-for-11), and 60.0 percent from the free throw line (3-for-5).

The second half went back and forth at the start of the final 20 minutes with three lead changes and two ties as the Cougars took a 29-27 lead on a layup by junior wing Travis Brown at the 16:48 mark.

Consecutive treys by Anzuluni and Shay and a jumper by Anzuluni pushed the Highlanders back on top 35-29 with 11:40 to play, but a 10-0 run by MVNU gave the Cougars their biggest lead of the game with 7:59 remaining. Thomas (right) and sophomore guard Brandon Short both scored four points apiece during the comeback with both of them recording a steal and a dunk as the home crowd roared to their feet.

With momentum on the side of MVNU, Houghton did not give in as the Highlanders rattled off six straight points of their own to regain the lead 41-39 with exactly six minutes left as Anzuluni scored four points and Bruce Mourhess nailed a jumper.

Falkenberg put the Cougars back on top 42-41 with a three-pointer at the 5:11 mark, but a layup by Mourhess and a jumper by Anzuluni saw Houghton take a 45-42 advantage with 3:15 still on the clock.

With MVNU trailing 47-44, senior guard Dan Borcherdt drained a three-pointer off a nice kick-out pass from Thomas to knot the score at 47-47 with 1:48 to go.

Neither team scored on its next possession. Then, Anzuluni gave the Highlanders a 49-47 lead with a layup with 37.9 seconds remaining.

On the next possession, the Cougars missed three shots, but grabbed three offensive rebounds before Thomas tied the game at 49-49 with a putback and was fouled on the play with 19.1 ticks on the clock. Thomas missed the free throw attempt, but Short grabbed the offensive rebound - MVNU’s fourth offensive rebound on that possession. However, he rushed a shot back up and Anzuluni grabbed the defensive rebound for Houghton.

As Anzuluni brought the ball up the floor with a chance to take the lead, the Cougars’ pressure defense forced the Highlanders to call a timeout with 8.8 seconds left. Then, on the inbounds attempt, Shay’s errant pass was picked up by Taylor (left), who was fouled with 5.5 seconds to go.

That set the stage for the freshman who was 23-for-29 at the free throw line on the season coming into the game (79.3 percent). He calmly swished both shots to give MVNU a 51-49 lead and leave one last chance for Houghton.

The Highlanders tossed the ball into Anzuluni, who dribbled quickly up court and launched a three-pointer that sailed just long as time expired as the Cougars were able to hang on for their eighth straight win.  The victory also marked the 12th time in the past 13 seasons that MVNU has reached the 20-win mark.

“We probably struggled more offensively tonight than we have in any game this season,” said MVNU coach Scott Flemming, who watched as his team posted the second-lowest scoring total in a game in his 19 years with the Cougars trailing only the 48 points scored in a 62-48 loss at home to Tiffin University on January 10, 2006. The 51 points scored was also the second-lowest winning total ever for an MVNU team trailing only the 36 points scored in a 36-33 victory on November 30, 1973, in the infamous slow-down game at Eastern Nazarene (Mass.) College in the pre-shot clock era.

“I thought we had really good looks from the perimeter and we just did not knock them down,” said Flemming. “We didn’t get the ball inside as much as we should have and that was some our fault and also a credit to Houghton for doing a great job of jamming up the lane. We were bailed out by our defense and some timely plays when we needed them.”

“Our last defensive stop was produced by our normal sideline defense that denies the ball in,” Flemming continued. “Most teams allow the ball in and I have always felt that if you can get a steal or a five-second call during a game that is another possession that may change the outcome. Robbie made a great play and then certainly did not look like a freshman knocking down the winning free throws. I’ve been doing this a long time and in all our special seasons we have had a few games like this.”

Falkenberg led the Cougars with 14 points, while Thomas finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Borcherdt added nine points, while senior forward Matt McKinley grabbed seven rebounds off the bench. MVNU shot just 32.7 percent from the field (18-for-55), 21.4 percent from three-point range (6-for-28), and 52.9 percent from the free throw line (9-for-17).

Anzuluni, the AMC’s leading scorer and rebounder, carried the load for the Highlanders with game highs of 19 points and 19 rebounds as he played all but 44 seconds of the game. Meanwhile, Mourhess and Shay added 11 and 10 points respectively. Houghton shot 40.0 percent from the field (20-for-50), 20.0 percent from three-point range (4-for-20), and 71.4 percent from the free throw line (5-for-7). The Highlanders held a 41-34 rebounding edge, but committed 20 turnovers to just 12 miscues for the Cougars.

MVNU will return to action on Tuesday when the Cougars will host Malone University in another important AMC game that will tip off at 7:30 p.m. Prior to that game, MVNU’s five seniors (Borcherdt, Thomas, Falkenberg, McKinley, and Andy Francis) will be honored as they play in their final regular-season home game. While the Cougars secured a berth in the AMC Tournament with the win over Houghton, MVNU is still playing to host a playoff game and possibly even receive a first-round bye in the six-team tournament that starts on February 24.