Men’s Basketball Remains Unbeaten with Road Win at UM-Dearborn

DEARBORN, Mich. – The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team (5-0) remained unbeaten after winning at the University of Michigan Dearborn (1-4) by a final score of 94-91 on Wednesday, November 12. 

It was a shootout up north as both teams lit up the scoreboard in the first half. Heading into the break, Dearborn held a slim 48-44 lead. MVNU shot 54.5% from the field and made six first half threes at a 42.9% rate. 13 turnovers in the first half hurt MVNU and helped the Wolverines build their lead after 20 minutes.  

The second half remained a tight back and forth battle. The Wolverines got hot, using a 10-0 run to take a 79-72 lead with 8:40 remaining in the game. Trailing 82-83 with 3:52 left, MVNU took a one-point lead thanks to a Devin Dreier layup. Dearborn split a pair of free throws on the next possession to tie the game with 3:21 on the clock. Isaiah Brown gave MVNU the lead after following up his own miss with a tip-in, making the score 86-84, Cougars with 2:57 left. MVNU jumped out to a 90-86 lead, but the Wolverines capped off a 5-0 with a three to take the lead with just 1:31 remaining. Another Brown layup with 1:08 remaining gave MVNU a 92-91 lead, and after a stop on defense, Trent Koning hit two clutch free throws to put MVNU up three with 30 seconds left. The Wolverines had two chances to tie with a three, but the Cougar defense held strong for the 94-91 win on the road. 

Peyton Heiss had a career-high 25 points for MVNU on 9-14 shooting from the floor and 6-9 shooting from deep. He added nine boards and four assists. Dreier had 16 points on 8-12 shooting from the floor to go with five rebounds. Koning had 18 points for MVNU to go with nine assists, five rebounds, and four steals. Brown finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. 

Coach Ronai's Thoughts 

"It was ugly, but we found a way. Winning on the road presents a multitude of challenges. We obviously have much to work on and improve. I'm looking forward to practice tomorrow." 

What's Next 

MVNU hosts the University of Northwestern Ohio on Friday, November 14 for homecoming. Tip-off in Ariel Arena is set for 7:30 p.m. 

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,200 students from 36 states, 1 U.S. commonwealth and 41 foreign countries.