
Spring Arbor Earns Gritty Road Win Over No. 14 Huntington
HUNTINGTON, Ind. – On Saturday afternoon, the Spring Arbor men's basketball team traveled to Huntington to take on the 14th ranked Foresters in a huge Crossroads League clash. Huntington took the first matchup in Spring Arbor with a dominant 17-point win, so the Cougars were looking for some revenge on the road.
The first half set the tone for what would prove to be a tight, highly competitive matchup, as the margin between the two squads was never higher than six points. Early on, Spring Arbor jumped out to a 14-8 lead with just under 15 minutes to go, before Huntington tied it at 16 apiece a few minutes later. The Foresters would then take a 21-19 lead into the second media timeout, holding that lead for the majority of the next five minutes, before Spring Arbor would surge back ahead just before the under-five minute media break, 27-26. Huntington regained the lead with two minutes left and kept it for the rest of the half, taking a four-point advantage into the locker room, 33-29. Gabe Newhof led all scorers in the half with 12 points, while Kevyn Robertson was the other main contributor to the Cougar offense, chipping in eight points.
The second half began with Huntington holding on to their slim lead for the first 12 minutes, responding to every Spring Arbor bucket with one of their own. However, the Cougars finally broke through with eight minutes to go, taking their first lead of the half on a Newhof bucket. Huntington would respond and get the lead right back on a pair of free throws and a basket, before a Spring Arbor 10-2 run gave them a five-point lead with three minutes remaining. The Cougars were able to hold onto the lead for the rest of the game, with a pair of Robertson free throws, and a Gabe Newhof dunk in the final minute sealing an massive victory, 62-58.
SCORE: Spring Arbor 62, (14) Huntington 58
LOCATION: Huntington, Ind. | Platt Arena
RECORDS: Spring Arbor 17-9 (9-7 CL), Huntington 20-6 (10-6 CL)
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- Gabe Newhof once again led all scorers with 22 points, also adding four rebounds, two steals and a block. Newhof has scored 20-plus points in 19 of 25 games this season.
- Joining Newhof in double figures were Kevyn Robertson and Dante Favor. Robertson filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals while Favor recorded his seventh double-double of the season, pouring in 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
- Travis Grayson and Shane Rykse also contributed offensively, both chipping in eight points. Grayson also added five rebounds and two assists.
- Lane Sparks and Drew Goodline led the Forester offense with Sparks scoring 16 points on 4-of-12 shooting while Goodline had 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
TEAM STATS
FG Percentage: Huntington 36.0%, Spring Arbor 46.3%
3PT Percentage: Huntington 23.8%, Spring Arbor 18.8%
FT Percentage: Huntington 77.3%, Spring Arbor 69.2%
Rebounds: Huntington 29, Spring Arbor 35
Assists: Huntington 8, Spring Arbor 9
Turnovers: Huntington 7, Spring Arbor 12
Points off Turnovers: Huntington 6, Spring Arbor 11
2nd Chance Points: Huntington 12, Spring Arbor 13
Bench Points: Huntington 1, Spring Arbor 0
Points in Paint: Huntington 22, Spring Arbor 38
NEXT UP
The Cougars will return home for another big-time Crossroads League matchup with league-leading, 10th ranked Bethel on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Tip-off will be at 5 p.m.