SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Cornerstone trailed 33-25 at the break but then outscored Vanguard 61-37 in the second half to post an 86-70 win on Friday evening at the Assemblies of God Classic, hosted by Evangel University (Mo.). The win is the 14^th in a row for the No. 1 ranked Golden Eagles as they improve to 14-2 on the season and they will take on SW Assemblies of God (Texas) on Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
Game Flow
The offense struggled and the Vanguard offense made the Golden Eagles pay as they raced to as big of a 15-point lead midway through the opening half. Tyler Baker's hot shooting touch kept CU within striking distance as they went into the locker room trailing by eight.

The second half opened with the CU defense stepping up while their offense slowly chipped away at the lead and the Golden Eagles took their first lead on a pair of Sam Vander Sluis free throws with 7:44 remaining. After that it was all CU as they outscored the Lions by 24 in the second half.
 
Say What?
"Defensively we locked down in the second half and our offense came alive. Tyler Baker hit some big shots and we controlled the rebounding as well" – Head Coach Kim Elders
 
By the Numbers
23/16 – Kyle Steigenga had a huge night as the game leader in points and rebounds
19 – Tyler Baker scored a career-high points on 7/10 shooting (5/8 from behind arc)
16 – Christian Rodriguez and Sam Vander Sluis each had 16 points
.446/.373 – CU outshot the Lions on the night
46-37 – The Golden Eagles edged the Lions on the glass
 
Up Next
Cornerstone will be back on the Evangel court on Saturday as they take on NAIA DI SW Assemblies of God (Texas) at 4 p.m.. The Lions are receiving votes in the latest NAIA DI Top-25 poll.
 
Men's Basketball Contact: Aaron Sagraves
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