Men’s basketball comes up short against Madonna, 84-76

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College men's basketball team rallied from 14-point deficit in the first half to take a lead in the second half, but ended on the losing end of an 84-76 score to Madonna University this evening at The Cutler Event Center in Olivet.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Madonna 84, Olivet 76
Location: The Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Olivet 2-5 overall, Madonna 4-8 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Crusaders took an 11-point lead, 18-7, lead in the first four minutes and 47 seconds of the game.
• The Comets went on an 18-8 run over the next six minutes and 27 seconds to trim their deficit down to one point, 26-25, at the 8:50 mark.
• Madonna responded by stretching its lead to as many as 14 points, 48-34, with 1:01 left before halftime.
• An Olivet basket by sophomore Griffin Lewis made the score 48-36 at the break.
• The Comets opened the second half with a 14-2 run to level the score at 50-50 at the 16:19 mark.
• The Crusaders went ahead on a pair of free throws before junior Aaron Washington tied the game on a fast break layup.
• After Madonna took a 54-52 lead, Washington drained a three-pointer to put Olivet ahead for the first time in the game, 55-54.
• The Crusaders seized a pair of four-point cushions, 59-55 and 61-57.
• The Comets answered with two baskets to even the score one more time, 61-61, with 10:43 remaining in the game.
• Madonna responded with a 6-0 scoring spurt and did not trail for the rest of the game.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet made 28 baskets, including 10 from behind the arc, and 10 free throws for its 76 points.
• Senior Eric Ewing led all players with 25 points.
• Washington finished with 14 points.
• Sophomore Thomas Tsalkitzis scored 13 points and recorded a team-best three assists.
• Senior R.J. Haas was a rebound shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench.

FOR THE CRUSADERS                                     

• Madonna had 24 baskets, including eight triples and were 28-of-36 from the free throw line.
• Nick Owens scored a team-leading 18 points.
• Andrew Myers had 17 points and eight assists.
• Chris Dierker posted a double-double, 16 rebounds and 12 rebounds.
• Caleb Drumm registered 12 points.
• Zel Williams finished with nine points and 12 rebounds.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Ewing has scored in double figures in six games this season, including four games with more than 20 points.
• Tsalkitzis' 13 points were a season-high.

UP NEXT

• Olivet hosts Spring Arbor University Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.