Men’s basketball team comes up short at Hope, 95-62

HOLLAND, Mich. – The Olivet College men's basketball team was on the losing end of a 95-62 score to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Hope College this afternoon at the DeVos Fieldhouse.

Final Score: Hope 95, Olivet 62
Location: DeVos Fieldhouse; Holland, Michigan
Records: Hope 8-4 overall, 1-0 MIAA; Olivet 4-9 overall, 1-1 MIAA

• The Comets took an early 7-5 lead. The Flying Dutchmen scored 11 straight points over a four-minute span. Olivet fought back to close the gap to four points on four different occasions. After the last time at 36-32 at the 3:27 mark, Hope used a 7-2 run to go up 43-34. The Comets put the final five points on the scoreboard to trail by four points, 43-39, at the halftime break. Olivet did not get any closer for the rest of the game.

• Senior Derrick Johnson was the lone player to score in double figures, as he had 16 points.
• Seniors Tevin Ali and Jameson Pavelka were next with nine points apiece.
• Sophomore Ryan Bart grabbed a team-best five rebounds.

• "I wasn't quite sure what to expect today," said Olivet head men's basketball coach Sam Hargraves. "We figured the guys coming back would have some rust, which they did. I just can't quite put a finger on why the rest of the guys were so bad.
• "We were beaten soundly from the opening jump. The halftime score didn't indicate the flow of the game. We probably should have been anywhere between 12 to 15 points down at halftime. There are plenty of games left to hopefully be played and we've got time to get things figured out."

• Tyler George scored a game-high 19 points.
• Noah Hedrick tallied 16 points.
• Evan Thomas and Clayton Dykhouse each had a double-double. Thomas finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Dykhouse had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

• Olivet hosts a basketball doubleheader next Wednesday, January 12. Preceding the Comet men against Trine (Ind.) University, the Comet women face Saint Mary's (Ind.) College. The women's game tips-off at 6 p.m., with the men to follow at approximately 8 p.m.