Men's basketball team defeats Kalamazoo, 81-67, in quarterfinals of MIAA Tournament

The Olivet College men's basketball team defeated Kalamazoo College, 81-67, tonight in the quarterfinals of the 2009 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament at The Cutler Event Center in Olivet. With the win, the Comets advance to play at top-seeded Calvin College in the semifinals on Friday night at 8:15 p.m.

For the game, the Comets shot 55.8 percent (29-of-52) from the floor, including 50 percent (8-of-16) from behind the arc. Olivet also drained 15-of-17 free throws and dished out 24 assists.

The Comets got a balanced scoring attack, as five players reached double figures. Senior Brandon McClary (Bellaire) led all scorers with 20 points. Junior Andy Clark (Lansing/Perry) was next with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Junior Joel Kerns (North Judson, Ind.) added 15 points, while sophomores Andre Evans (Muskegon/Muskegon Heights) and Michael McClary (Bellaire) each 11.

Evans had a game-high eight assists. Sophomore Joe Post (Olivet) recorded seven assists, while committing just one turnover. Kerns and Michael McClary pulled down seven rebounds apiece.

Henry McCain was the Hornets' leading scorer with 15 points. Verelle Kirkwood came off the bench to score 12, while Ben Jerome had 11. Jerome also topped the team with five rebounds.

In the first three minutes, 44 seconds, Kalamazoo built a 12-2 run. Olivet battled back and tied the game at 18-18 with 8:18 left in the first half. From that point, there were five lead changes and two tied scores. After a 34-34 tie, Brandon McClary canned two free throws to give the Comets a 36-34 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Olivet extended its lead to six points twice, including 50-44 at the 12:37 mark. The Hornets came back and took a 52-51 lead. The Comets took the lead for good on the next trip down the court when freshman Jaren Edsall (Whitehall) made two tosses from the charity stripe. Olivet sealed its victory by making 8-of-9 free throws (6-of-6 from Evans and 2-of-3 from Post) in the final 1:34 of the contest. The 14-point margin of victory was Olivet's largest lead of the game.

The other first round scores were: #1 Calvin 89, #8 Trine (Ind.) 54; #2 Hope 83, #7 Alma 66; and #3 Albion 87, #6 Adrian 81. The semifinals will take place at Calvin's Van Noord Arena. The first game at 6 p.m. will feature Albion vs. Hope, while the Comets will play the Knights at 8:15 p.m.