Men’s basketball team loses to Great Lakes Christian, 87-80, in season-opener

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Olivet College men's basketball team kicked-off the 2019-20 season with a tough 87-80 loss to Great Lakes Christian College tonight in the opening game of the Defiance Purple & Gold Tournament at Karl H. Weaner Center in Defiance, Ohio.

Final Score: Great Lakes Christian 87, Olivet 80
Location: Karl H. Weaner Center; Defiance, Ohio.
Records: Great Lakes Christian 2-2 overall, Olivet 0-1 overall

• The Crusaders held a pair of six-point leads early in the first half. The Comets trimmed their deficit down to two points twice. After the last time at 18-16, Great Lakes Christian used an 11-2 run to take its first double digit lead of the game. The Crusaders extended their lead to as many as 22 points before a basket by freshman Drew Moore made the score 47-27 at halftime.
• The Comets chipped away at its deficit in the second half and closed the gap to as few as four points, 64-60, with 7:19 left in the game. Great Lakes pushed its advantage back to 10 points, 72-62. Olivet used another late push to trail by only one point, 78-77. Over the final 1:28 of the game, the Crusaders made 9-of-10 free throws compared to just a three-pointer for the Comets.

• Olivet made four more baskets, 35 to 31, than Great Lakes Christian. The Crusaders drained three more three-points and were 16-of-23 from the foul line compared to 4-of-9 for the Comets. Olivet won the rebounding battle, 45-33, but turned the ball over seven more times, 21 to 14.
• Junior Chris Martin and senior Keyon Rainey each scored 18 points.
• Junior Eddie Thigpen finished with 15 points.
• Junior Shawn Pardee contributed 14 points.
• Rainey and junior Jared Long each grabbed seven rebounds.
• Long dished out four of the Comets' 13 assists.

• "Great Lakes Christian's length and athleticism really gave us fits on both ends tonight," said Sam Hargraves, who was in his debut as the Comets' head coach. "Not to take anything away from them, but if we would played with the same energy the entire game as we did in the last 15 minutes or so, we would be feeling a lot better right now. As we did in both of our exhibition games, we did not go away. We kept fighting. Tonight's game was a good thing to build on."

• Four Great Lakes Christian starters scored in double figures.
• Trent Temple led all scorers with 25 points.
• Isiah Reed tallied 18 points.
• Elijah Kess and Jahmal Eggleston had 15 and 12 points, respectively.
• Quincy Green pulled down a team-best six rebounds.

• Olivet faces Spalding (Ky.) University in the consolation game of the Purple & Gold Tournament at 3 p.m. The Golden Eagles fell to the host Yellow Jackets, 93-72, in the other first round game this evening.