Women’s basketball team falls to Calvin, 76-64

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Olivet College women's basketball team fell to Calvin College, 76-64, this evening at Van Noord Arena in Grand Rapids.

The first seven and half minutes of the opening quarter was back and forth, as neither team led by more than three points. With the score knotted at 9-9, the Comets went on a mini 5-0 run – layup by junior T'Keyia Collins and three-pointer by senior Dallas Austin – to take the largest lead for either team. Anna Timmer made a layup for the Knights to make the score 14-11 at the end of the first period.

There was no scoring in the second quarter until Calvin tied the game with a three-pointer at the 8:19 mark. Senior Shauni Hankins made a layup to put Olivet back ahead 16-14. The Knights responded with a 7-0 run to gain their largest lead of the game, 21-16, midway through the second stanza.

The Comets battled back and cut their deficit down to one point, 29-28, when junior Katie McKinnon stole the ball and scored a fast-break layup with 1:36 left before halftime. Like the first quarter, Timmer scored the final five points of the second quarter to give Calvin a 34-28 lead at the break.

Olivet did not go down without a fight in the second half. Hankins knocked down a three-pointer to make it a one-point game, 36-35, with 7:10 left in the third period. The Knights would go back up by four points until back-to-back Comet layups by Collins and senior Jackie Harwood tied the game at 39-39.

Bre Luurtesma made a free throw to complete an old-fashioned three-point play to put Calvin back on top, 42-39. The Knights would hold onto their lead and led by five, 52-47, to start the fourth quarter. Calvin out-scored Olivet, 24-17, in the final quarter to pull out the 12-point win.

Senior Bre Kidd was one of three Comets in double figures, as she had 16. Hankins finished with 13, and Collins came off the bench to score 12. Austin grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds.

Timmer paced the Knights with 26 points. Luurtsema had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

The Comets make the trip to play Alma College Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.