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Posted by Patrick Moore - Men's Basketball - Sat, Dec 5, 2009
Geoff Gaylor
Geoff Gaylor
Site: Livonia, Mich. (Activities Center)
Score: Alma College 62, Madonna University 60
Records: MU 1-8; AC 2-4
Next MU event: Friday, Dec. 11 vs. Notre Dame (Livonia, Mich.)

BOX SCORE| POST GAME INTERVIEW VIDEO WITH HEAD COACH NOEL EMENHISER

LIVONIA, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - A furious second half comeback that saw the Madonna University men's basketball team overcome a 12-point deficit to take the lead went in vain as a buzzer beater by Alma's Tommy Erickson foiled the Crusaders as MU fell 62-60 in the final game of the WHAC/MIAA Challenge inside the Activities Center on Saturday (Dec. 4).

Freshman Kevin Henry (Toledo, Ohio) led MU with 18 points and junior Geoff Gaylor (Roscommon, Mich.) posted a career-high 15 points and 16 rebounds for his first ever double-double. Jordan Redditt led all scorers with 31 points for Alma.

Alma opened the game on a 10-0 run before Madonna climbed back into the game, pulling back to with in two at 22-20 with 5:08 left on a pair of Henry free throws. The Scots pushed their lead back to nine with just over three minutes to go in the opening half but the Crusaders were able to pull back to with-in four points heading into the half when junior Ryan Bahnmiller (Commerce Township, Mich.) nailed a three pointer with four ticks left to send the teams into the locker room with Alma in the lead 29-25.

Coming out of the break the Crusaders were able to trim their deficit to just one over the first 2:12 of the half using a bucket from Henry and a triple from junior Bryant Slaughter (Westland, Mich.) to make it a 33-32 game with 17:48. 

Alma then proceeded to go on an 11-0 run of its own over the next three minutes to go back on top by 12 at 44-32.

MU steadily whittled the deficit down over the next two minutes to get back to with-in two (44-42) but AC responded with another 6-0 run to back on top by eight with 9:22 to go.

The trend of runs continued, this time for the home side as MU went on a 10-0 run to go from down 50-42 to up 52-50, claiming the lead on a Slaughter three from Bahnmiller with 6:08 left to go on top for the first time all day.

The two sides traded buckets over the next two and a half minutes before a Gaylor tip in and free throws from Henry and Slaughter but the Crusaders on top 60-56 with 2:02 left.

After Alma tied the game at 60 with 1:24 to go, neither side could find the bottom of the net until Erickson tipped in a missed three as time expired to give the Scots the 62-60 win.

The Crusaders return to the court next Friday (Dec. 11) in the second game of the Madonna Classic, hosting Notre Dame College at 8pm inside the Activities Center. Rochester and Michigan-Dearborn open the two-day event at 6pm. The Crusader Radio Network with Kevin Wade will have the live game audio for the MU games.

Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834