MVNU Downs Spring Arbor 70-64 for First MCC Win


	Cougar Basketball Game Recap MVNU Downs Spring Arbor 70-64 for First MCC Win written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director Game Boxscore MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (1-10-2012) - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team started the second half on a 20-7 run to take the lead for the first time over Spring Arbor (Mich.) University and then the host Cougars held on for the team's first Mid-Central College Conference victory 70-64 on Tuesday night in the Physical Education Center. MVNU (7-12, 1-6 MCC) managed just two baskets over the first 8:53 of the game as Spring Arbor (12-7, 3-4 MCC), which received votes in the latest NAIA Division II poll, built a 13-5 lead behind eight points from Chris Bellamy. The Cougars closed the gap to 22-21 with 6:07 to play on a 3-pointer by sophomore wing Austin Semple *(left). Senior forward Danil Zakhlebnyy nailed a pair of treys and added a free throw to fuel the surge. Spring Arbor answered with an 8-2 run to push the lead back up to 30-23, but a layup by senior guard Robbie Taylor made it 30-25 at the half. Semple led MVNU with nine first-half points, while Zakhlebnyy added seven points and four rebounds. Taylor also contributed five points. The Cougars shot 38.5 percent from the field (10-for-26), 36.4 percent from 3-point range (4-for-11), and 50 percent from the free throw line (1-for-2). Bellamy led Spring Arbor with 11 points, while Matt Howe and Rob Hogans tossed in eight points each. The visiting Cougars shot 43.3 percent from the field (13-for-30), 33.3 percent from 3-point range (1-for-3), and 50 percent from the free throw line (3-for-6). Trailing 34-27 with just over two minutes gone by in the second half, MVNU mounted what would prove to be the run that changed the game. It started with an offensive rebound and putback by Semple, a three-point play by Zakhlebnyy, a pair of free throws by junior guard Ben Severns, and an offensive rebound and tip-in by sophomore post Caleb Williams to knot the score at 36-36 at the 14:17 mark. Severns gave the Cougars their first lead of the game with a long 3-pointer as the shot clock was winding down to make it 39-36 at the 13:35 mark, and he followed that with another long trey on the move on the next possession to increase the lead to 42-37 after Spring Arbor split a pair of free throws. Taylor capped off the 20-7 surge to start the second half with a deep fade-away trey again with the shot clock winding down to push the lead to 45-37 and force a Spring Arbor timeout with 12:07 left. A turnover by the Cougars with 8:40 to play resulted in an intentional foul and four straight free throws by Bellamy on the possession as Spring Arbor closed the gap to 49-47 with 8:36 still to play. However, clinging to a 51-49 lead, MVNU used a 10-2 run to take its biggest lead of the game at 61-51 with 5:19 remaining on a reverse layup by sophomore wing Matt Anglea off a nice back-door feed from Semple. Spring Arbor did not go quietly as Bellamy hit a trey with 1:47 to go to pull the visiting Cougars within 63-59. However, Spring Arbor elected not to foul and MVNU was able to run 1:05 off the clock on its next possession thanks to an offensive rebound and two shot attempts just ahead of the shot clock buzzer with the possession ending on a layup by Zakhlebnyy with 42.7 seconds left and the Cougars up 65-59. The two teams exchanged a pair of free throws and then Bellamy drained another trey with 17.3 seconds to go to close the gap to 68-64 for Spring Arbor. However, a pair of free throws by Taylor with 13 seconds remaining proved to be the final margin in the 70-64 victory as Bellamy came up short on a 3-pointer with nine seconds to go and Williams grabbed the defensive rebound to seal it. Zakhlebnyy (right)* and Semple each scored 15 points to lead MVNU, while Taylor added 13 points and five rebounds. Williams filled out the stat sheet with 11 points, 11 rebounds, a game-high four assists, and three blocked shots, and Severns fired in 10 points off the bench. Anglea, sophomore guard Nate Dodds, and freshman guard Landon Israel each had key buckets as well, and the Cougars finished the game shooting 46.0 percent from the field (23-for-50), 47.1 percent from 3-point range (8-for-17), and 69.6 percent from the free throw line (16-for-23). Bellamy, the leading scorer in the MCC and the No. 9 scorer in all of NAIA Division II, finished with a game-high 26 points on 9-of-22 shooting from the field. Howe posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Hogans tossed in 15 points off the bench. Spring Arbor shot 39.7 percent from the field (23-for-58), 30.8 percent from 3-point range (4-for-13), and 77.8 percent from the free throw line (14-for-18). "What an effort by our players and coaches tonight," said MVNU coach Matt Moore. "I thought we put together our best defensive effort of the season and even showed some toughness through fatigue late in the second half. Our bench gave us outstanding minutes tonight and our playmakers made plays. This was a well-deserved result for this group and we now need to take advantage of our momentum going into the weekend." The Cougars will return to action on Saturday at home when they will host Marian (Ind.) University in another MCC contest that will tip off at 3 p.m.

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