MEN’S BASKETBALL

It took an extra session for the HU men’s basketball team to escape McDonald Athletic Center with an 80-75 decision over Spring Arbor Tuesday night. The Crossroads League brawl saw Zach Goodline take control of the overtime to send his team home with a coveted league road win.

After taking the ball coast-to-coast to kiss one off the glass at the buzzer in regulation to send it to overtime, the junior playmaker scored all but four of HU’s points in the extra period to will his team to their first CL victory.

In the extra five minutes, Ben Humrichous opened up Huntington’s scoring with a slashing layup after which Goodline struck for six straight points. The guests’ final two points belonged to Lane Sparks who sealed the win with a pair of freebies that extended the game to two possessions with less than ten seconds remaining.

Goodline finished with a game-best 26 points which included going 8-for-9 from the charity stripe. His heroics also included getting his team on track in the first half. After managing just five points through the opening eight minutes, the Foresters got the lift they needed when the 6-1 guard rattled off eight consecutive points that sparked a 13-0 run to put the Foresters on top 18-14 by the 9:30 mark.

While it was a close ballgame after that, Alford’s crew held the lead more often than not well into the second frame until Daniel Cluster knocked down a jumper and capitalized on an and one for a 55-53 SAU advantage with just over seven minutes to go. The Cougars wouldn’t trail again until just over 60 seconds into the extra period when Goodline canned a pair of free tosses that finally got Huntington over the hump to reclaim a lead for good.

In addition to Goodline’s 26 points, Humrichous added 18 which included posting five points in the final minute of regulation that set the stage for OT. He also collected four rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists for an impressive all-around performance.

Hank Pulver poured in 14 points while Spencer Ballinger enjoyed team-high rebounding honors with seven off the bench.

Cluster finished with 19 points to pace the Cougars. Other double-digit scorers for Spring Arbor included Elie White with 16 and Kevyn Robertson with 12.

The win bumps Huntington’s overall record to 7-3 which includes a 1-3 CL record. The Foresters return to Platt Arena on Saturday to host Mount Vernon at 3:00 p.m.