SPRING ARBOR, Mich. — Third-ranked Spring Arbor University made its early lead stand up in a 79-60 win over the Goshen College men's basketball team at the McDonald Athletic Center on Saturday.

Ben Cotton sank three 3-pointers and matched Brandon Watkins with a team-high 11 points for Goshen in each team's Crossroads League finale. Demarkus Stuckey added 10 points and Alhassan Barrie 9 while Austin Branagan grabbed 7 rebounds.

Luke Barber and Payton DeWildt scored 15 points apiece to lead Spring Arbor (24-6, 14-4). All five of Barber's baskets came from long range while DeWildt sank all nine shots he took and Brandon Durnell added 11 points. Jeff Beckman grabbed a game-high 8 rebounds and Paul Marandet dished 7 assists.

Spring Arbor shot 50 percent (15-for-30) in the first half, taking a double-digit lead in less than 5 minutes and holding the Maple Leafs to 8-for-27 shooting. The Cougars used a late 9-0 run to push the lead to 18 points, a high-water mark before the intermission.

Goshen (8-22, 2-16) added 7 three-pointers in the second half, which saw the team score 40 points and come within a point of matching SAU's offensive output. The Cougars led by as many as 29 points before Watkins and Ryan Mansbarger combined for a 7-0 run.

Spring Arbor finished with a 45-33 rebound edge and 21 assists to Goshen's 7. The Maple Leafs posted leads of 16-10 in points off turnovers and 34-32 in bench points, in addition to blocking 8 shots. Watkins, Branagan and Patryck Ostrowski each stuffed 2 opponents.

The defeat concluded Goshen's regular season. All-conference award winners are scheduled to be released in the next week in conjunction with the league tournament, with NAIA Scholar-Athletes and All-Americans following at the national championship in March. Stay tuned to GoLeafs.net and follow the Maple Leafs on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest developments throughout the offseason.