HU Strikes Again, Tops No. 4 Arizona Christian

CHANDLER, Ariz. — The HU men's basketball team is quickly building a reputation no ranked opponent wants to face. Thursday night, the Foresters delivered their biggest statement win of the season. Competing in the Cactus Classic at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, (RV) Huntington knocked off No. 4 Arizona Christian, 72-61, at the Coyote Center for its fourth win over a ranked opponent this year.

With the victory, the Foresters improve to 9-3, while Arizona Christian drops to 10-4, coming off a narrow four-point loss to No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan earlier in the week.

The night belonged to Landon Biegel when it mattered most. Coming off the bench, the sharpshooter erupted for a game-high 21 points, including eight points in the final 2:30. Biegel buried back-to-back three-pointers to break the game open, then calmly knocked down free throws around two trips to the line by Miles Good. Together, the duo outscored the Firestorm 12-6 down the stretch to seal the upset.

Good had ice in his veins from the stripe when the pressure peaked, finishing a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line, all of which came in the final six minutes. He closed the night with 17 points and four assists.

The first half was a grind-it-out affair, with neither team able to create separation. Arizona Christian's largest lead was six at 25-19, but the Foresters answered each push. The teams went to the locker room separated by just one point, with ACU holding a slim 25-24 halftime edge.

The chess match continued after intermission. Seven ties and 12 lead changes followed before Kaden Johnson's layup with seven minutes remaining finally gave Huntington a lead it would not relinquish at 52-50. Johnson finished with 15 points and a monster 15-rebound double-double, anchoring the Foresters inside.

Once Huntington grabbed control, it was all Foresters. Johnson scored once more before Biegel and Good combined for 19 points, slamming the door on the nation's fourth-ranked team.

Cade Brenner delivered a timely spark earlier in the second half, drilling three three-pointers in just over three minutes to keep Huntington within striking distance. Brenner finished with 11 points, while Jackson Paul added six assists and six rebounds.

As a team, Huntington shot 46.4 percent from three-point range (13-for-28), while limiting Arizona Christian to 33.8 percent shooting (22-for-65).

Arizona Christian was led by Ese Onakpoma, who scored 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Zack Reighard added 15 points off the bench, while Shaud Bradley chipped in 10 points.

HU wraps up play at the Cactus Classic tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. against No. 13 Hope International before returning to the Hoosier State.

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 181 NAIA All-America honors and 631 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. Huntington has a top quartile ranking in the 2026 U.S. News Best Regional Universities Midwest Rankings.