MEN’S BASKETBALL

In a postseason atmosphere worthy of March, the third-seeded Foresters left everything on the floor Saturday afternoon but came up short in a 66-59 loss to second-seeded Indiana Wesleyan in the Crossroads League Tournament semifinals at Luckey Arena.

Despite spring break being underway at both schools, there was no shortage of buzz inside the gym. With a trip to the league championship on the line, the energy was palpable from the opening tip in a matchup featuring two nationally ranked programs — No. 22 Huntington against the fourth-ranked Wildcats in the final NAIA Coaches’ Poll.

As expected in late February basketball, points were at a premium. Both teams scored nearly 20 points below their season averages in a contest defined by physical defense and half-court execution. The game featured nine lead changes and 13 ties, with no more than two possessions separating the squads the majority of the afternoon.

Huntington (22-8) found its rhythm midway through the first half, using a 10-1 run over a five-minute stretch to seize control. Four different Foresters scored during the spurt, highlighted by Keylane Lasisi’s putback that gave HU its first lead at 13-11. Back-to-back buckets from Kaden Johnson pushed the advantage to 17-12 — Huntington’s largest lead of the game.

Indiana Wesleyan (26-4), however, closed the half strong to take a 26-21 edge into the break.

Out of intermission, Miles Good put the Foresters on his back. The freshman guard scored seven of his 13 points in the opening five minutes of the second half to pull HU within two at 34-32. From there, it turned into a battle of the big men.

Johnson and IWU’s Caedmon Bontrager, arguably the league’s top post players, traded blows in a heavyweight showdown. Johnson poured in 17 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, finishing 10-for-15 from the floor while adding 12 rebounds and three blocks. Bontrager answered with 24 points and 12 boards of his own, scoring 18 after halftime.

Huntington shot 42 percent from the floor (21-of-50) and held a narrow 30-29 rebounding margin. The Foresters limited turnovers to 10 and collected five steals and three blocks defensively, but struggled from long range (2-of-16) and at the free throw line (15-of-24).

With under two minutes to play, Cade Brenner delivered one of the afternoon’s biggest plays, picking Bontrager’s pocket and going coast-to-coast to tie the game at 58s. But the Wildcats responded on their next possession and, after a defensive stop, capitalized at the free throw line. IWU went 6-of-8 at the stripe in the final minute to seal the victory.

In addition to Johnson’s game-high 25 points, Good added 13 to go along with three steals for HU, while Lasisi and Jackson Paul chipped in seven points each.

For the Wildcats, Bontrager led the way with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Julius Gizzi provided a spark off the bench with 10 points, while Marcus Ankney added nine and Isaac Andrews finished with eight.

With the win, Indiana Wesleyan advances to Tuesday’s championship game at top-seeded Grace.

As for the Foresters, they now turn their attention to the NAIA National Tournament. Huntington will await Monday’s announcement to see if it will host first and second round action, with national pairings set to be revealed Thursday. Opening round games are slated for March 13-14.