MEN’S BASKETBALL

The (RV) Huntington men’s basketball team earned a complete 96–82 victory over Mount Vernon Nazarene Saturday inside Platt Arena, giving Head Coach Jared Jauch his first league win as the leader of the HU program. With the win, the Foresters improve to 7–2 overall and 1–1 in Crossroads League play, while MVNU drops to 7–2 on the season and 1–1 in conference action.

The first half featured tight back-and-forth action for the opening 13 minutes before a 60-second Forester explosion cracked the game open. HU buried three straight triples—two from Landon Biegel and one from Miles Good—to turn a narrow 21–17 lead into a commanding 25–12 advantage with less than a minute coming off the clock. Huntington continued pouring it on, stretching the margin to as many as 22 before heading into the locker room with a 53–36 halftime lead.

Mount Vernon battled in the second half, slowly chipping away until trimming the deficit to just two points midway through the period. But when the Foresters needed a response, Cade Brenner delivered. The 6-3 junior, known for his perimeter firepower, drilled two threes in less than 90 seconds to push HU back in front 73–64. He later delivered the dagger with his third triple of the half at the four-minute mark, restoring a double-digit cushion that the Cougars never truly threatened again.

The matchup proved physical from start to finish, with the two teams combining for 51 free throws. Huntington thrived at the stripe, finishing 30-for-36 (83.3%). The Foresters shot 48.2% from the field, 38.7% from three, and held a 31–20 rebounding advantage. HU also tallied 18 assists on 27 made baskets and benefited from 25 points off the bench.

Good continued his breakout season in emphatic fashion. After setting a career high earlier this week, the junior guard set a new career mark with a team-leading 24 points, fueled by four threes and an 8-for-8 performance at the line. He added eight rebounds and five assists in a dominant all-around outing. Kaden Johnson was nearly flawless, scoring 16 points on 6-for-6 shooting while grabbing six boards and swatting two shots. Jackson Paul steadied the attack with 15 points and a game-high 10 assists, while Keylane Lasisi added 13 points and six rebounds. Off the bench, Brenner erupted for 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting from deep, providing the critical second-half spark that swung momentum back HU’s way. Biegel chipped in six points, all coming during his crucial first-half burst.

Mount Vernon was led by Isaiah Brown, who poured in a game-high 36 points thanks to a 14-for-15 performance at the foul line. Devin Dreier added 18 points on efficient 7-for-11 shooting, while Peyton Heiss scored nine and Abib Abib contributed seven off the bench. Despite their scoring punch, the Cougars were limited to 6-for-21 (28.6%) from three and couldn’t keep pace with HU’s perimeter prowess and second-half surges.

Huntington now turns its attention to a major road test, traveling to Winona Lake to face No. 3 Grace on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.