Dec. 6, 2007

Stats

ADRIAN, Mich. - The Saints of Siena Heights University got the best of the Bulldogs yet again on Thursday night, taking a 72-67 victory at the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center.

In a back-and-forth first half that featured six ties and seven lead changes, the Bulldogs' biggest lead of the night came on a Ryan Gallus three pointer with 11:28 in the first half. After falling behind by six points with just over two minutes left in the half, the Bulldogs battled back into the game. Desmond Young made a jumper in the paint with :34 left on the clock to knot up the game 35-35, bringing the near-capacity crowd in the stands to their feet.

The Saints went on a 14-2 run over a 5:27 to claim a 50-39 lead. The never-say-die attitude of both the Bulldogs and their crowd came through as Buck Riley's group never let the game get out of reach. A balanced offensive attack from Chris Primley, Gallus, and Corey Smith coupled with strong defensive play, including blocked shots by Ian Weber and Matt Wayne, saw the Bulldogs erase the Saints' lead. The Bulldogs moved within one point of the Saints when Gallus scored from long distance at 7:24 to make the game 58-57 in favor of the visitors, sending the Bulldog crowd into a roar. In a back-and-forth battle over the final minutes of the game, Gallus came up big again in the clutch for the Bulldogs, sinking a jumper with :24 left to make the game 70-67. The Saints, however, sunk a pair of late free throws to make the game 72-67 and claim the Battle for the Milk Jug.

Desmond Young was the game-high scorer for the night, notching 28 points in the loss for the Bulldogs. Gallus also finished the night in double-digits for the Bulldogs with 15 while Ian Weber had a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Saints (4-6) were led by 20 point efforts from both Gerome Hunter and Curtis Stephens.

The Adrian College men's basketball team (4-2) will next take to the court on December 15 when they travel to Bluffton College to take on the Beavers. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.