MEN’S BASKETBALL

The (RV) Huntington men’s basketball team made sure history didn’t repeat itself Saturday afternoon, knocking off Spring Arbor 85–78 at Platt Arena to open second-round Crossroads League play. The win avenged a seven-point loss to the Cougars back in November and extended Huntington’s current win streak to three.

Huntington entered the day sitting fifth in the CL standings, with Spring Arbor (10-10, 3-7) holding down the No. 7 spot, and the Foresters wasted no time setting the tone.

Kaden Johnson sent an early message, scoring 10 of HU’s first 17 points as the Foresters sprinted out to a 17–4 lead in the opening five minutes. Johnson and Miles Good carried the load throughout the first half, combining for 31 of Huntington’s 46 points as the hosts maintained a double-digit cushion for much of the opening 20 minutes.

Johnson poured in 16 first-half points on an ultra-efficient 8-of-9 shooting, while Good added 15, helping Huntington take a 46–35 lead into the break.

Spring Arbor, however, made it clear the second half wouldn’t be comfortable. The Cougars stormed out of the locker room, scoring nine of the first 11 points to trim the deficit to 48–43 just three minutes in. Jackson Paul briefly quieted the momentum with a calm three, followed by another from Landon Biegel on the next possession, but Spring Arbor answered with an impressive 14–2 run to grab its first lead of the afternoon at 59–56 with 12 minutes to play.

That’s when Cade Brenner steadied the ship. The junior sharpshooter drilled back-to-back threes from the top of the key to swing the lead back to Huntington at 62–59. The Foresters never trailed again, though the Cougars kept things tight down the stretch.

Biegel connected on two more timely triples, and Paul took over late, scoring nine points in the final eight minutes. His three with 47 seconds remaining proved to be the dagger, pushing HU’s lead to 81–76 and sealing the win. Huntington shot a scorching 56.9 percent from the floor and went 10-of-12 at the free-throw line. The Foresters also held a 32–29 rebounding edge and dished out 14 assists.

Johnson finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, missing just one shot all afternoon. Paul matched him with 20 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists. Good added 17 points, five boards, and three assists, while Brenner chipped in 13 points on three made triples. Biegel provided a huge spark off the bench, especially in the second half where he knocked down all three of his shots from deep for nine points.

Spring Arbor was led by Brandon Trilli, who scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Dante Favor added 17 points, three assists, and three steals, while Shane Rykse finished with 13 points. Aden Zank chipped in 10 as the Cougars shot 47.6 percent from the field but struggled to keep pace late.

With the win, Huntington improves to 15–5 overall and 6–4 in Crossroads League play. The Foresters hit the road Wednesday to take on Mount Vernon at 7:30 p.m.