UOlivet defeats Albion, 76-68, in MIAA Tournament first round

OLIVET, Mich. – The University of Olivet men's basketball team posted a 76-68 come-from-behind win over Albion College tonight in the 2025 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament first round on Hathaway Court and at the Cutler Event Center.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Olivet 76, Albion 68
• Location: Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 11-15 overall, Albion 10-16 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Britons built a 16-point lead, 22-6, at the 10:40 mark of the first half. The Comets trimmed their deficit down to 11 points, 26-15, before Albion used a 6-1 run to push its advantage back to 16 points. The teams traded baskets to create another 16-point differential, 34-18, with 3:52 remaining in the half. Olivet ended the half on a 10-2 spurt to trail by 36-28 at the break.
• In the second half, the Britons stretched their lead to 10 points, 48-38. The Comets responded with a 12-2 run, capped by a three-pointer at the top of the key by sophomore Nathan Richardson to tie the score, 50-50, at the 11:52 mark. Olivet made the next basket and did not trail for the rest of the game. The Comets' largest lead of the game was 14 points, 74-60, with 1:06 left in the game.
• For the game, Olivet posted a 57.4 field percentage (27-of-47), including 73.9 percent (17-of-23) in the second half. The Britons made 26-of-65 baskets (40.0 percent).

FOR THE COMETS

• Richardson led all players with 29 points.
• Sophomore Conner Schipper added 16 points.
• Sophomore Lee Hardy scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds, made three steals and blocked five shots.

UP NEXT

• The Comets travel to play Calvin University in the MIAA Tournament semifinals Friday night at Van Noord Arena in Grand Rapids, starting at approximately 7:30 p.m. The other semifinal game will feature Hope College versus Trine (Ind.) University at 5:30 p.m.