MEN’S BASKETBALL

Wednesday’s Crossroads League quarterfinals at Platt Arena was one for the books. It was an instant classic that ended with a buzzer-beating three by Zach Goodline to lift the 3rd-seeded HU men’s basketball team past 6th-seeded Spring Arbor 71-68.

While Goodline’s game-ending heroics headlined the evening, the final moments were memorable in their own right. It started with Goodline coming off a screen and nailing a fadeaway 15-footer that put HU up 68-65 with a minute remaining.

Goodline is to HU as Gabe Newhof is to Spring Arbor so to no one’s surprise, the 6-9 sophomore converted an and one ten seconds later to force the game’s sixth tie. The two teams traded empty possessions to set up the dramatic ending.

With 6.4 ticks remaining, Huntington secured a defensive rebound and drove the length of the floor only to have the ball knocked out of bounds with 1.4 seconds to go. It turned the ball back over to SAU in front of the Forester bench. While overtime seemed the likely outcome, there was still plenty of ball game to be had.

Landen Jordan intercepted the inbounds pass at midcourt and was able to call a timeout while still in the air setting the stage for a wing and a prayer. After an official’s review, 1.1 seconds was put back on the clock and then it was the Goody show.

The 6-1 guard received the pass on the go and let it fly without taking a dribble from the right wing. The bank was open as his three kissed off the backboard at the buzzer sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

Goodline finished with 22 points, eight assists and three steals. His confidant Lane Sparks poured in 23 points and hauled in four boards. Jackson Paul added ten points while Jordan tallied nine points and five rebounds.

While Alford and crew had beaten SAU twice during the regular season by an average of ten points, anything goes come tournament time and Spring Arbor made sure of that. The Cougars led by as many as eight early on before HU finally pulled ahead by three, 34-31, at halftime.

Every time it looked like Huntington might pull away, the Cougars always rallied back to keep it close. HU’s second half lead ballooned to as many as 11 with nine minutes to go but the double-digit disparity was short-lived. By the two-minute mark, SAU had reclaimed a one-point lead which only added to the late-game drama.

Newhof and Travis Grayson shared game-high scoring honors with 24 points each. Newhof also cleaned the glass for ten boards for the double double. Kevyn Robertson tossed in ten to round out Spring Arbor’s double digit scoring.

With tonight’s win, HU (21-8) advances to the semifinals of the CL tourney slated for Saturday at 3:00 p.m. The 3rd-seeded Foresters will take on 2nd-seeded Indiana Wesleyan at Luckey Arena.