Men’s basketball team loses heartbreaker to Kalamazoo, 82-81

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College men's basketball team lost a heartbreaker to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) foe Kalamazoo College, 82-81, this evening at the Cutler Event Center in Olivet. Senior Tracy Edmond made a layup with 8.1 seconds left to put the Comets ahead 81-79 before the Hornets drained a three-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining for the winning points.

Final Score: Kalamazoo 82, Olivet 81
Location: Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Mich.
Records: Kalamazoo 6-14 overall, 3-6 MIAA; Olivet 10-10 overall, 6-3 MIAA

• Overall, the game featured 12 tied scores and 18 lead changes.
• In the first half, Olivet used a 10-2 run to turn a 9-9 tie into its largest lead, 19-11, at the 13:42 mark. Kalamazoo chipped away at its deficit and took a 24-23 lead with 8:18 left. For the rest of the half, there were three more ties and seven lead changes. The Comets led 43-39 until Tanner Blyly made a long three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to make the score 43-42 at the break.
• Olivet scored the first five points of the second half to stretch its lead to six points, 48-42. The Hornets fought back and took a two-point lead twice. After the last time at 57-55 with exactly 12 minutes remaining in the game, the teams traded free throws and baskets for two tied scores and one lead change.
• The Comets seized a three-point lead, 62-59, after senior John McAdoo nailed a three-pointer at the 10:30 mark. Olivet extended its lead to as many as seven points, 74-67, with 5:24 left. The Hornets did not give up and went on an 11-3 run to take a 78-77 lead.
• The Comets evened the score with 1:08 remaining when senior Dee Roberts made 1-of-2 free throws. Kalamazoo took the lead back when it split two free throws with 48 ticks showing on the clock. Edmond went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe with 42.1 seconds left to level the score at 79-79.
• The Hornets missed a basket and junior Trevor Manuel grabbed the rebound. Edmond missed a shot and after a scramble, he grabbed the rebound and made a layup to make the score 81-79. After Kalamazoo called two timeouts, Ben Reiter who found himself wide open and drained the winning three-pointer.

• Manuel finished the game with 23 points and eight rebounds.
• Edmond scored 18 points and dished out seven assists.
• Senior Colin Jones posted a double-double with 11 points and game-high 12 rebounds.

• Reiter scored 23 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-9 from behind the three-point arc.
• Blyly contributed 19 points.
• Drew Sheckell added 10 points.
• Blyly and Merritt Hamann each grabbed six rebounds.

• The Comets host Trine (Ind.) University in a rescheduled game next Monday, Feb. 4. Tip-off from the Cutler Event Center is 7:30 p.m.