Zureich Beats Buzzer to Lift SHU Men's Hoops Over UMD

ADRIAN, Mich. -- Jacob Zureich (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview) made a layup with 0.3 seconds left, lifting the Siena Heights men's basketball team to a 61-59 win over Michigan-Dearborn in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play on Saturday night.

Zureich's basket put the Saints up 60-59; the ensuing free throw added on to the lead. Dearborn was unable to get off a desperation shot before the buzzer.

Eric Cogan (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield) and Cecil Clark (Ferndale, Mich./Ferndale) had 12 points each for SHU while Brooks Sutherland (Adrian, Mich./Adrian) contributed 11 points and seven rebounds. Nick Packwood (Southgate, Mich./Inter-City Baptist) also had seven rebounds.

Zureich finished with nine points, including Siena Heights' last four.

The Saints trailed by as many as 13 in the first half before closing the period on an 8-0 run -- Sutherland buried a 3-pointer, Rick Jones (Honor, Mich./Benzie Central) made a 3 and Packwood hit a 2-pointer.

The hosts limited their deficit early in the second half and eventually gained the lead with 7:12 when a Sutherland layup put the Saints ahead 46-45.

The Wolves (3-27, 2-16) regained the lead and increased it to four points before the Saints ran off nine consecutive points, including four from Clark, as SHU grabbed a 57-52 advantage with 1:50 left.

UMD answered back with a 5-0 stretch -- led by Julius Porter's four points -- to knot the contest at 57-all.

Zureich made a free throw with 15.9 left on the clock, putting the Saints up 58-57, and Dearborn's Jamiel Strickland knocked down a pair of freebies of his own with 4.6 left, setting the stage for Zureich's game-winner.

Porter led the Wolves with 26 points while Strickland contributed 11. Doug Sharples grabbed nine rebounds.

The first round of the WHAC Tournament is now set with games beginning on Wednesday. The matchups are as follows:

8-Siena Heights (7-23, 4-14) at 1-Davenport (26-4, 16-2)
5-Aquinas (15-15, 11-7) at 4-Indiana Tech (22-6, 12-6)
6-Concordia (14-16, 9-9) at 3-Madonna (18-12, 12-6)
7-Lourdes (14-16, 9-9) at 2-Cornerstone (19-11, 13-5)