Box Score | Saturday VSN Broadcast

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A Lonnie Fairfax layup with 3.8 seconds left gave the No. 11-ranked Panthers a thrilling 45-43 win on the road at Aquinas. The victory lifts DU to a 25-4 record and sets up a showdown with No. 3 Cornerstone Saturday at the Student Center.

With just over one minute remaining, the Panthers led 43-36 before the Saints closed the gap to 43-39 on an old fashion three-point play. Two more quick Aquinas baskets tied the game at 43-43 with 12 seconds remaining.

Before the late run by the Saints, the Panthers controlled the second half with the home team never decreasing the lead to less than seven before late rally.

It was a slow start for both teams as the first points of the game weren't scored until 3 minutes into the game when Fairfax scored the first two on a steal and layup. The Panthers built a 16-11 lead in a game where points were hard to come by. James Nelson (New Haven, Mich.) added two quick buckets of his own to add to the lead at 20-14. DU went into the locker room with a 10-point lead at 26-16.

In the second half, the Panthers looked like they would cruise to the win when a JaVontae Ford (Grand Rapids, Mich.)three-pointer increased the margin to 12 for DU at 7:45 left in the game. The lead would be the largest of the game for the Panthers at 41-29.

Nathan Cox (Flushing, Mich.) led DU with 13 points on the night. He was 11-12 from the free throw line. JaVontae Ford had a team-high six rebounds for the Panthers.

Defensively, the Panthers held Aquinas to 32% shooting from the field, which included 28% in the first half. DU's defense shutdown the Saints from behind the arc, holding Aquinas to 6% shooting from behind the three-point line. 

The Panthers close out the regular season at home when DU welcomes rival and No. 3-ranked Cornerstone University to the DU Student Center Saturday for a 3:00 p.m. matchup. Follow all the action live on the DAN.

Post Game Notes

The win is the first in school history on Aquinas' home court as DU did win at Ford Fieldhouse during the 2009-10 season but had never won on a true home floor of the Saints…DU has now won four out of the last six against the Saints and Burt Paddock is now 4-5 against Dave Hammer…DU clinches the #2 seed in the upcoming WHAC Tournament with a win and a loss by Indiana Tech…The meeting on Saturday with No. 3 Cornerstone will be broadcast LIVE on the Victory Sports Network (VSN)