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Posted by Patrick Moore - Men's Basketball - Fri, Dec 11, 2009
Kevin Henry
Kevin Henry
Site: Livonia, Mich. (Activities Center)
Score: Madonna University 78, Notre Dame College 72
Records: MU 2-8; NDC 7-2
Next MU event: Saturday, Dec. 12 vs. Rochester (Activities Center)

BOX SCORE

LIVONIA, Mich. (MadonnCrusaders.com) - - A furious second half rally from down as many as 10 points - sparked by a 53-percent shooting clip from the floor - propelled the Madonna University men's basketball team to a 78-72 upset win over visiting Notre Dame College on Friday night (Dec. 11) in the 2009 State Farm Classic inside the Activities Center.

Freshman Kevin Henry (Toledo, Ohio) led the Crusaders with 21 markers to go along with a team-best six assists. Juniors Geoff Gaylor (Roscommon, Mich.) and Bryant Slaughter (Westland, Mich.) each added 20 points with Gaylor grabbing nine reboundsto snap MU's two-game losing streak. Eric Dummermuth led all players with 22 points for the Falcons - who are receiving votes in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll - in defeat.

The Falcons opened the game on an 11-4 run over the first four-plus minutes but an 8-1 Crusader run pulled the home side back to with in one at 13-12 with 12:48 left. The two sides traded buckets over the next two minutes until a Josh Gay (Woodburn, Ind.) triple with 9:25 to go put the Crusaders on top for the first time at 18-17. 

NDC went on a 6-0 run of its own to retake the lead but MU countered with a 6-0 run to go back on top 26-25 after Leroy Allen (Detroit, Mich.) converted the back half of a two shot trip to the free throw line with 5:40 showing on the clock. The Falcons went on another run to close the half, this time a 14-6 trip to take a five point cushion - 39-34 - into the break.

Coming out of the intermission Notre Dame pushed its lead to 10 points over the first nine minutes of the half by using a 14-4 run to go on top 53-43 with 12:09 left. A 12-1 Madonna run over the next three and a half minutes pulled MU back to with in one at 56-55. Henry started the run with a triple from Gay while Slaughter went on a personal 5-0 run of his own - closing with a triple - to make it 56-55 with 8:47 left.

The Falcons went back on top by five but that lead was short lived as Allen made the back half of a trip to the charity stripe and followed that up with a make from the paint before Henry canned one of his three triples of the night to put MU on top 61-60 with just over 5:40 to play.

The two sides traded buckets over the next few minutes until Henry knocked down a jumper and was followed by made buckets from Slaughter and Gaylor, the latter putting MU on top by seven, 73-66 with 38 ticks left. 

After NDC pulled back to with in five on a pair of free throws, Henry sank a pair of charity tosses of his own to put MU back on top by seven at 75-68. The Falcons got to with in four twice but could not get any closer before Gay iced the win away with two free throws with three seconds left for the 78-72 come-from-behind win.

The Crusaders have little time to celebrate the win as Rochester College comes calling in a 2pm contest on Saturday (Dec. 12). The Warriors downed MU 82-76 back on Nov. 10 in the two teams' first match up this season.

Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834)