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Posted by Patrick Moore - Men's Basketball - Wed, Feb 17, 2010
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
Site: Livonia, Mich. (Activities Center)
Score: Madonna University 69, University of Michigan-Dearborn 67
Records: MU 6-22 (3-10 WHAC); UMD 5-23 (2-11 WHAC)
Next MU event: Saturday, February 20 vs. Concordia (Activities Center), 3:00pm

BOX SCORE

LIVONIA, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - -After losing a six-point halftime lead and falling behind by nine in the second half, the Madonna University men's basketball team rallied for a 69-67 win over the visiting University of Michigan-Dearborn inside a raucous Activities Center on Wednesday (Feb. 17) night.

A pair of sophomore - Mike Clark (New Boston, Mich.) and Tyler Coker (Whitmore Lake, Mich.) - led the Crusaders with 12 points each off of the bench while junior Bryant Slaughter (Westland, Mich.) and freshman Kevin Henry (Toledo, Ohio) each added 10 markers. Coker tied for the team-high with seven rebounds as well. Myke White led all players with 21 points for the Wolves in the setback.

The opening 20 minutes was a back and forth affair as neither side held a lead of more than three until junior Ryan Waidmann (Canton, Mich.) put the Crusaders up by five on a jumper in the lane for a 17-12 game. The Wolves answered back on a White three to make it 17-15 but a Coker runner in the paint put the Crusaders back up four at 19-15 with 10:06 left.

Madonna maintained its lead until a 7-2 UMD run put over two minutes put the Wolves on top 28-27 with 3:30 left in the half. The two sides traded scores and a pair of free throws from UMD's Le'Ante Duran forced the game's fourth tie, this one at 30-all with just over two minutes left.

The Crusaders closed the half on a 6-0 run, sparked by jumper from sophomore Mitch Cieslak (Brighton, Mich.) who also knocked down a pair of free throws with two ticks left to give MU a 36-30 lead heading into halftime.

Michigan-Dearborn came out of intermission and went on a 19-4 run over the first 3:33 of the half to take a 49-40 lead with 16:28 left in the game.

Madonna answered back with a 12-3 run of its own to reclaim the lead at 53-52. Cieslak, Clark and Coker were the sparks on both ends of the floor during the home side's run as Clark scored nine of his team-high 12 points during the run to go along with a bucket from Coker and a pair of steals from Cieslak that put the MU back on top.

The two teams traded buckets again before UMD took a 61-57 lead with 5:33 left on a put back from Nicholas Simpson. MU responded with yet another run - this one a 12-4 change over 4:11 - that put the Crusaders on top 69-65 with 1:22 left.

The Wolves were forced to foul and the Crusaders went cold from the line, missing a pair of free throws, the final coming with 18 seconds left and MU up just two at 69-67. Duren had a look in the final seconds but his shot went wide and allowed Madonna to hang on for the two-point win.

The Crusaders - who have clinched the seventh seed in the upcoming WHAC Championship by virtue of tonight's win - close the regular season with a 3pm matinee against Concordia on Saturday (Feb. 20.) Madonna will honor its senior class of Leroy Allen (Detroit, Mich.) and Jordan Hoke (Grand Rapids, Mich.) prior to the game.

Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834