An early season pre-holiday road trip was on tap for the Aurora University men's basketball team as they took on the Marian University Sabres Wednesday evening in Fond du lac,Wisconsin.

In a knockout, drag out affair the Spartans stood tall at the end with a 65-62 win that included a late second half comeback.

AU came out early on and took the action to the Sabres, building a 10-point lead (16-6) seven minutes into the contest. The Spartans maintained a 10-point advantage with 5:57 to play after a senior Brandon Smith free-throw gave AU a 23-13 lead.

The defending NACC champion Sabres started cutting the AU lead in the closing minutes and with a three-pointer in the final seconds, AU took a one-point lead into halftime at 27-26.

The first three minutes of the second half saw the teams trade blows and leads until the Spartans grabbed a four-point advantage on a junior Kalmon Stokes three with 16:47 on the game clock.

Marian was able to tie the game up at 42 with 11:07 and after AU again took the lead over the next four minutes until Marian tied the contest again with 7:19 to play.

After a Smith lay-up, Marian hit a three to take the lead and the home team held the advantage until a senior Kyle Pilmer lay-up with 3:36 to play. But in a game of back and forth, Marian got a lay-up for a 61-60 lead on the next possession.

With just over three minutes and trailing by one, Pilmer missed from close range but fellow senior, guard Gavin Walker grabbed the rebound and tipped in the put back for a Spartan lead, the last lead change of the game.

Over the next 2:15, AU extended the lead to five with a lay-up from Pilmer and Walker went two of four from the free-throw line.

Marian would not let AU go home without some late nail-biting. The Spartan lead was cut to two with 41 seconds to play following a three point field goal.

In the final seconds the AU defense held strong while free throw shooting once again proved adventurous for AU with Nick Kladis going one for four down the stretch but AU held on for the win, 65-62.

Smith led all scorers in the game with 19 points, Pilmer had 14 with six rebounds, Stokes had 13 points and six rebounds and Walker had eight points, a game high nine rebounds and four assists.

With the win, AU is now 8-3 overall and 6-1 in the NACC. Next action for the Spartan men's basketball team comes on Saturday, December 20 when they travel to Concordia University Wisconsin. Game time is set for 4:15 p.m. in Mequon, Wisconsin.