The Spartans of Aurora University hosted the Marian University Sabres on Saturday February 7 with AU hosting Senior Day. The Spartans won the game 80-78 fending off a hungry Sabre team and in doing so clinched at least two home games in the 2014-2015 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament.
 

Aurora recognized seven seniors: Justin Phipps, Gavin Walker, Cody Carter, Kyle Pilmer, Brandon Smith, Joe Kwiatkoswki and Sean Gant prior to tip-off with the Sabres, with five of the seven starting the contest.

As the Aurora Spartans took the court they felt the intensity of Senior Day and brought a matching performance against the previous conference victors. Senior Brandon Smith started the Spartan scoring with a jumper 15 seconds into the game. The Spartans traded blows with the Sabres and with 14:17 left in the half the score was 10-8 in favor of the home team.
 

The Spartans then began a 13-5 run against Marian and junior Nick Kladis scored the 23rd point for the Spartans with a swishing three pointer bringing their lead to 10. The visiting Sabres began to fight back the Spartans and closed the gap to five with 5:47 to play. The Spartans continued their strong offense and with 1:47 Tyler Hall swished a jumper for the last Spartan points of the half. Following a Sabre basket, AU took a 36-29 lead into halftime.

Hall and Smith led the Spartans through the first half scoring seven points each.

Coming out of the locker room the Spartans looked to bring their seniors a victory, running off a 16-8 run over 7:45 to build a 15-point lead at 52-37. Smith hit a pair of three-point shots, Hall had six points and senior Kyle Pilmer dropped in a three baskets around the rim to fuel the run.
 

The Spartans easy coasting was quickly toppled with a deep run by the Sabres. Following a timeout, the Sabres tore into the Spartans with a 24-10 run leaving the score 62-61 in favor of AU with 3:06 to play. 

Two free-throws and a jumper by Hall and a pair of Pilmer jumpers rejuvenated the Spartans in the next two minutes of the game pulling the Spartans up by eight, 70-62 with 59 seconds to play.

The Sabres began fouling to trade possessions but were thwarted by AU's Hall. Hall hit eight free throws in a row within the last minute of the game. Although the Sabres kept the pressure on AU as they were able to sink three, three-point shots and a jumper in the last minute to pull the score close, but ultimately the Spartans fundamentals at the free-throw line won the seniors a victory of 80-78.
 

The Spartans shot 56.3-percent from the field in the game and were led by Hall's 25 points, Smith had 15 points, Pilmer had 12 points and nine rebounds, Phipps had nine points and Walker had five points, four assists and four rebounds..