The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team began the MVNU Classic with a victory over Brescia University. The game took place on November 7 in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Isaiah Brown scored first for the Cougars with an assist from Devin Dreier, helping the team to a 10-point lead early in the game. Peyton Heiss was a standout player in the first half, contributing 12 points and six rebounds.
As halftime approached, Brescia closed the gap to two points at 33-31. However, MVNU responded with a 7-0 run to lead 40-31 at halftime. In the second half, Brescia narrowed MVNU's lead to five points with seven minutes left. But MVNU regained control by hitting several three-pointers, extending their lead to 16 points at one point.
The Cougars secured an 83-69 win, shooting 40.3% from the field and making 13 out of 33 three-point attempts. They also recorded 19 assists and forced Brescia into committing 17 turnovers, which resulted in 17 points for MVNU.
Peyton Heiss matched his career-high with 24 points and added ten rebounds, six steals, and four assists. Devin Dreier contributed 15 points while Isaiah Brown scored 13 points. Reed Platfoot added another twelve off the bench.
Coach Ronai commented on the game: "A lot to learn from today. Many positives on both ends and I thought we had spurts where we played well." He noted that missed free throws were an area for improvement: "Going 12-24 at the line with multiple front end of 1-1 misses really hurts and stalls momentum."
Mount Vernon Nazarene University will continue hosting games in the MVNU Classic against Oakland City University on November 8 at Ariel Arena.
Information from this article can be found here.
