Men's Basketball Falls Just Short in Loss at UM-Dearborn

(Dearborn, MI)-- It was a back and forth game, but the Cleary Cougar men's basketball team would fall just short in their return to WHAC play, with a 77-74 loss at UM-Dearborn Saturday afternoon.

Chris Williams would open the game with a made three pointer, and the two teams would trade baskets for the first five minutes of game play.  Cleary would take a 13-9 lead on back to back three pointers from AJ Hess and Jaylen Cole-Williams.  After UM-D would tie the game at 18-18, Austin Santure provided a spark, and scored two of his eight first half point to give the Cougars the lead once again.  A pair of layups by Chris Williams and Bennie Crenshaw Jr. gave Cleary a 29-25 advantage, and after a pair of technical fouls by the Dearborn bench, Bennie Crenshaw Jr. would hit all four free throws to give Cleary a 33-25 lead with just over nine minutes to play in the half.  AJ Hess would hit another three pointer to extend the lead, and a free throw by Chris Williams gave Cleary their first double-digit lead of the game at 39-29.  Two minutes later, Jaylen Cole-Williams hit a pair of free throws to give Cleary a 45-33 lead with three minutes to play.  UM-Dearborn would respond, and closed the half on a 9-0 run, giving Cleary a 45-42 advantage at the half.

The Wolverine run would continue to 11-0 before Cleary responded with a 7-0 run of their own to start the second half.  The Wolverines would once again claw their way back into the game, and took the lead for the first time in the half with 12:35 to play.  The deficit would grow to five points with 6:30 to play in the game, but AJ Hess' fourth three pointer of the game would make it a two-point game.  The game would be tied 74-74 with 51 seconds to play.  UM-Dearborn would score three unanswered points to take a 77-74 lead.  Out of a Cleary timeout and still trailing by three points, Cleary called up a play to tie the game, but Jaylen Cole-Williams' shot would be off the mark, and the Cougars were forced to foul to extend the game.  Dearborn's free throws would both be missed, and Cole-Williams would have a second chance to tie the game, but his desperation shot did not fall, and the game ended 77-74.

AJ Hess and Chris Williams each had 14 points to lead CU.  Williams would grab 6 rebounds, while Hess added 5 rebounds and 3 assists.  Jaylen Cole-Williams chipped in 11 points.  Bennie Crenshaw Jr. had 10 points and 8 assists, while Austin Santure added 10 points and 5 rebounds off the bench.

Cleary falls to 2-11 on the season, 1-6 in the WHAC.  The Cougars will look to bounce back on Wednesday, January 8, when they host the Lourdes Gray Wolves at Gannon Gymnasium at 7:30 PM.