Griffin Sponaugle made the most of Senior Appreciation Day by helping the Misericordia University men's basketball team clinch a MAC Freedom post-season berth with an 85-81 win over Wilkes, Saturday afternoon in the Anderson Center.

Sponaugle was part of Misericordia's last three field goals and his up-and-under layup put the Cougars ahead for good, 77-72, with 3:22 to play. 

Sponaugle finished with 14 points and four assists while Jason Kenny added 28 points, including 5-6 from three-point range and a perfect 9-9 from the free throw line.  Tony Harding added 23 points on 10-19 shooting and Tre Fields had 13 points and nine rebounds.  Noah Rivera added a team-high 11 rebounds.

After Wilkes took a 72-71 lead on two free throws by Connor Evans, Fields put MU back in front with two free throws of his own with 4:39 to go.
Kenny came up with a steal that led to Sponaugle threading a pass through the lane to Harding for an easy bucket and a 75-72 lead.

Wilkes tied it on an Evans' three-pointer and Sponaugle answered with his layup with 3:22 to go.

Sponaugle grabbed defensive rebounds on the next two Wilkes possessions and the Cougars took a timeout with 1:07 to play.

Inbounding from in front his own bench, Sponaugle lofted a perfect lob pass to Kenny on a back-door cut that gave the Cougars a 79-75 lead.

Following a Wilkes turnover, Kenny made two free throws to give the Cougars a two possession lead, 81-75, with :49 remaining.

On a day when the Cougars shot just 52.2% from the foul line, Kenny added four free throws over the final 21 seconds to clinch the win.

The teams went back-and-forth early in the first half and Kenny drained a three from the left corner off an inbounds pass from James Hawk to give MU a 17-11 lead.  Wilkes answered with eight straight points to go up 19-17 with 12:57 left.

Wilkes led 22-20 as the teams traded three-pointers, but the Cougars responded with a 10-0 run.

Fields hit a three from the corner and Sponaugle followed with a fast break trey from the right wing.  Sponaugle drilled another three from the left corner and Fields capped the run with a free throw for a 30-22 lead with 6:18 to go in the first half.

The Colonels battled back to pull even, 32-32, and Harding hit a floater in the lane to put MU back in front with 3:02 left in the half.

Alec Rodway's layup and Kenny's three from the top of the key gave the Cougars a 39-36 lead, but Wilkes scored the last four points of the half and led 40-39 heading into the break.

Wilkes used a 16-4 run early in the second half to take a 61-52 lead with 12:35 remaining, but the Cougars quickly pulled even with nine straight points.

Kenny converted a three-point play and Stone McCreary drilled a three from the left corner off a pass from Fields.  Harding drained a deep three-pointer from the right wing to make it 61-61 with 10:16 to go.

Wilkes took its last lead, 66-63, on three foul shots by Evans, but Harding answered again with a three-pointer from the top of the key.

Kenny followed with a three-pointer from the same spot to give MU a 69-66 lead with 7:27 to play.

Fields drove the lane and dished to Harding for a layup for a 71-68 lead, but Wilkes rallied for a 72-71 lead with 4:51 to go.

Misericordia improved to 16-5 overall and 7-5 in the MAC Freedom.  The Cougars will travel to DeSales, Tuesday.