Trying to hold onto the eighth and final seed in the upcoming Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference playoffs has become the goal of the Madonna University men's basketball team.

And with six precious games left in the regular season, the Crusaders have to make every one count but it didn't happen Saturday as WHAC leader Davenport University led from start-to-finish en route to a 70-53 triumph over host MU.

Davenport, ranked No. 5 in the latest NAIA Division II poll, sprinted out to a 40-25 halftime lead and led by as many as 21 in the second half to improve to 21-3 overall and 15-1 in the conference.

The Panthers got a game-high 20 points from 6-foot-6 sophomore Kevin Rich, while Poland native Dawid Czerniawski, a 6-7 junior, chipped in with 14.

Dominez Burnett, a 6-5 junior, added 13 points for Davenport's ninth straight win.

"They're big, they're athletic, they're skilled at every position," MU coach Noel Emenhiser said of the Panthers. "They play at a higher pace than we were able to today. They just saw things before we did. They saw our mistakes on defense and made us pay for them. They saw what they were doing on offense and moved faster than we could move the ball. All-in-all they outplayed us in every phase of the game."

No starter scored in double figures as Salem's Chris Dierker, a 6-7 red shirt junior forward, led MU with 11 points and eight rebounds.

Senior center Donald Owens added 10 points off the bench as the eighth-place Crusaders slipped to 10-14 overall and 6-10 in the WHAC.

The Crusaders shot only 2-of-21 from three-point range and 19-of-63 for the game (30.2 percent).

Senior guard Shaun Duncan, who came into the game averaging a team-best 15.1 points per game, struggled from the floor going 2-for-10, including 0-for-6 beyond the arc. The five starters combined for 6-of-31 shooting.

Emenhiser hinted there could be some changes in the starting lineup.

"We're going to look at everything," Emenhiser said. "We don't necessarily start the guys who just give us the best chance to score. We're always looking for the best possible solution to helping us win. There's no doubt that we'll be looking at everything we're doing."

The Crusaders return to WHAC play 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at home against ninth-place Siena Heights (8-15, 4-11) in a critical game for playoff positioning.

"Getting in is the first priority and get to the highest seed that we possibly can," Emenhiser said. "It's going to take a lot of effort, a lot of commitment and a lot of sacrifice for us just to remain in position where we can have a postseason."