Men’s Basketball Secures Close Victory Over Spring Arbor 

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio. – The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team (8-2, 2-1) hosted Spring Arbor University (5-4, 1-2) at Ariel Arena on Wednesday, December 3. 

In the first half, Isaiah Brown's layup tied up the game 17-17 with 9:00 left. SAU took a narrow 33-32 lead late in the first half with a three-pointer by Shane Rykse, but MVNU quickly responded with a layup from Trent Koning, making it 34-33 with 2:05 left on the clock. MVNU would extend its first half lead to 40-33, after Koning scored 16 of MVNU's 40 points in the first half.  

MVNU came out strong in the second half. With 10:05 remaining, a free throw from Grant Burkholder put MVNU at its largest lead of 17 points. SAU pushed back to tie the game late in the second half after two free throws from Travis Grayson, making it 72-72. Brown's layup with 1:10 gave MVNU a three-point lead with a close score of 79-76. After back-to-back free throws from MVNU and SAU, Brown secured the victory for MVNU with his two free throws with eight seconds left on the clock, making the score 84-80. SAU would make a last second layup by Dante Favor, but MVNU would finish on top with a final score of 84-82. 

Brown led MVNU in points, scoring 25 points. Brown went five for six at the free throw line, 10 for 16 from the field, and grabbed five rebounds and two assists. Koning added 23 points for the Cougars, went four for five at the free throw line, had four rebounds and two assists. Peyton Heiss had 11 points, ten rebounds, and two assists. MVNU shot 51.6% from the field and 81.3% from the free throw line. MVNU grabbed 41 rebounds and caused seven turnovers, scoring ten points off of them. 

What's Next 

The Cougars will next host Marian University at Ariel Arena on Saturday, December 6. Tip-off will start at 3:00 p.m. 

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, 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.