Men’s basketball team stung by Kalamazoo, 96-80

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College men's basketball team lost to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Kalamazoo College, 96-80, today at the Upton Center Gymnasium.

Final Score: Kalamazoo 96, Olivet 80
Location: Upton Center Gymnasium; Olivet, Michigan
Records: Kalamazoo 5-16 overall, 2-8 MIAA; Olivet 5-16 overall, 2-8 MIAA

• The Comets led by nine points twice in the first seven and half minutes of the game. The second time was, 19-10, at the 12:28 mark after senior Ryan Franklin made a free throw to complete a three-point play. The Hornets chipped away at their deficit and eventually tied the game at 25-25 with 7:37 showing on the first-half clock.
• Kalamazoo then scored five straight points to go up 30-25. Olivet made the score 30-28 after junior Jared Long canned a free throw for a three-point play. A Hornet three-pointer pushed their lead back to five points before back-to-back layups by juniors Colin Carter and Eddie Thigpen created a 33-32 score.
• Kalamazoo answered with a layup and two free throws to extend its lead back to five points. After each team made a basket, junior Delbert Redfield drained a three-pointer to make the score 39-37 with 48 seconds left until halftime. The Hornets got two free throws to push their lead back to four points, 41-37, at the break.
• The Comets scored the first five points of the second half to regain the lead 42-41. Kalamazoo responded with a three-pointer to take the lead back. Freshman Britton Angell tied the game with a layup at the 16:53 mark. Tre Humes made a layup to put the Hornets ahead. Kalamazoo did not relinquish its lead for the rest of the game.
• For the game, Olivet shot 50.8 percent (32-of-63) compared to 45.2 percent (28-of-62) for the Hornets. The difference in the game was Kalamazoo made six more shots from behind the arc, and was 27-of-37 from the free throw line compared to 9-of-13 for the Comets.

• Thigpen made 8-of-10 baskets for a team-best 17 points.
• Junior Chris Martin scored 16 points.
• Redfield contributed 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from behind the arc.
• Long grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

• Tanner Blyly led all players with 25 points.
• Ben Reiter tallied 17 points.
• Thomas Cook came off the bench to score 16 points.
• Humes finished with 15 points.
• Jeremiah Vincent added 11 points.
• Reiter had a team-leading eight rebounds.

• Olivet goes on the road to play Alma College next Wednesday, Feb. 12. Tip-off at Art Smith Arena is 7:30 p.m.