UOlivet tripped up by Hope, 77-45, in MIAA-opener

HOLLAND, Mich. – The University of Olivet men's basketball started Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play with a 77-45 loss to Hope College this evening at the DeVos Fieldhouse.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Hope 77, Olivet 45
• Location: DeVos Fieldhouse; Holland, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 2-10 overall, 0-1 MIAA; Hope 6-6 overall, 1-0 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Flying Dutchmen led by four points, 9-5, at the 16:28 mark of the opening half. Olivet scored five straight points to take a 10-0 lead. The teams traded points to keep the game close. Following a 16-16 tie, Hope ended the half on a 24-6 run to take a 40-22 lead into the locker rooms. The Comets closed the gap to 10 points, 49-39, with 13:40 left in the game. The Flying Dutch put the game out of reach with a 16-0 run.

FOR THE COMETS

• Sophomore Nathan Richardson led Olivet with 13 points.
• Junior Evan Honnen came off the bench and made three shots from behind the arc for nine points.
• Sophomore Aden Hathaway scored eight points.
• Sophomore Lee Hardy grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists.

QUOTE FROM HEAD COACH SAM HARGRAVES

• "After the last few games, the way we played against the level of competition we faced, we're very disappointed in tonight's performance," said Olivet head coach Sam Hargraves. "Outside of the first 10 minutes, which were pretty good, we looked like a very young immature team. Of course we're going to try every day to change that, and hopefully that's not what we are."

UP NEXT

• The Comets host defending NCAA Division III champion Trine (Ind.) University Saturday at 3 p.m. A season ago, Olivet upset the No. 2-ranked Thunder, 87-75, on the Comets' home floor.