The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team secured a victory against Oakland City University in the MVNU Classic at Ariel Arena. The game, held on November 8, saw MVNU come from behind to win 92-85.
Oakland City initially took the lead with consecutive layups, but MVNU managed to tie the game several times during the first half. A three-pointer by Devin Dreier allowed MVNU to take a narrow one-point lead at 33-32. By halftime, MVNU was ahead 46-42, thanks to contributions from Trent Koning and Isaiah Brown.
In the second half, Oakland City surged ahead with a ten-point lead after Kalik Sharpe's three-pointer. However, MVNU fought back and tied the game late in the half. Peyton Heiss' three-pointer gave MVNU a 79-76 lead, which was extended by Koning's free throws. Despite Oakland City's efforts to tie again at 84-84, Heiss' final three-pointer secured the win for MVNU.
Isaiah Brown led the Cougars with a career-high of 27 points, shooting eight of 13 from the field and contributing five rebounds and two steals. Both Koning and Dreier added 17 points each. The Cougars shot 46.8% overall and capitalized on turnovers by scoring 32 points off them.
Coach Ronai praised his team's resilience: "It was good for our young guys to feel a game like that today... We lived into our unbreakable spirit value to fight back from a double-digit deficit."
The Cougars will next face Michigan-Dearborn on November 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private Christian university located in Mount Vernon, Ohio. It offers education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,200 students across various states and countries.
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