Men’s basketball team edged by Hope, 87-84

HOLLAND, Mich. – The Olivet College men's basketball team suffered an 87-84 loss to Hope College in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) contest this afternoon at the DeVos Fieldhouse in Holland.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Hope 87, Olivet 84
Location: DeVos Fieldhouse; Holland, Mich.
Records: Olivet 9-8 overall, 4-2 MIAA; Hope 10-7 overall, 4-2 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED

• In the first half, the Comets led by as many as 14 points, 28-14, after junior Tracy Edmond made two free throws at the 8:53 mark. Olivet continued to hold onto the lead, 41-33, with 2:47 left. The Flying Dutchmen answered with nine straight points to take a 42-41 lead.
• Senior Jalen Adams made a basket to put the Comets back on top but a Hope three-pointer made the score 45-43 at halftime. In the opening 20 minutes, senior Eldridge Mason was a perfect 5-for-5 from behind the arc for 15 points.
• Olivet opened the second half on a 12-3 run for a 55-48 lead.  The Comets pushed their lead to 11 points, 66-55, at the 12:49 mark. Hope responded with a 17-6 run to tie the game at 72-72 with 6:53 left in the game. There were four more tied scores, with the last time being 82-82 with 1:37 remaining in the game.
• The Flying Dutch took an 85-82 lead on a three-pointer by Riley Lewis. Senior Blake Siersema answered at the other end of the court with a layup. Dante Hawkins missed two free throws with 32.9 seconds left. Adams grabbed the rebound but the Comets turned the ball over before getting a shot attempt. The Comets had to foul, and Lewis drained two free throws to create the final score.

FOR THE COMETS

• Olivet made one more basket than the Flying Dutchmen but Hope had five more three-pointers. Both teams had identical 16-of-23 shooting from the free throw line.
• Playing all 40 minutes, Adams led all players with 28 points on 12-of-19 shooting. He also pulled down nine rebounds.
• Mason finished with 22 points.
• Edmond had a near triple-double with 17 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.

FOR THE FLYING DUTCH

• Lewis provided a spark off the bench with a team-leading 23 points.
• Jason Beckman contributed 21 points.
• Preston Granger and Teddy Ray had 18 and 13 points, respectively.
• Dennis Towns grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

UP NEXT

• Olivet concludes the first half of MIAA play next Wednesday, Jan. 24, when Calvin College visits The Cutler Event Center for an 8 p.m. game. The game may start late due to the Comet women hosting Alma College prior to the men's game. That game tips-off at 6 p.m. The games are also a "Red Out" where Olivet fans are encouraged to wear red!