Men’s basketball team escapes Kalamazoo with 82-79 win

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Olivet College men's basketball team defeated Kalamazoo College, 82-79, tonight in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) contest at the Anderson Athletic Center in Kalamazoo.

The Hornets held a four-point lead, 13-9, at the 13:21 mark of the first half. Over the next five minutes and 21 seconds, Olivet scored 18 straight points to turn the deficit into a 14-point lead, 27-13. The Comets stretched their lead to as many as 17 points, 35-18, before Kalamazoo scored the final nine of the final 11 points of the half to trail 37-27 at the break.

Olivet led the entire second half. On four different occasions, the Hornets were only down by one point. Each time, the Comets were able to score the next basket or free throw to prevent Kalamazoo from tying the game or taking the lead.

In the win, Olivet shot a season-best 52.6 percent (30-of-57) from the floor and also made 16-of-20 free throws. Junior Blake Krum (Schoolcraft) led all scorers with 26 points . Freshman Eric Ewing (Harper Woods/University Liggett) provided a spark off the bench with a season-high 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc. Sophomore Eddie Rogers (Saginaw/Carrollton) had 11 points.

Sophomore T.J. Vondette (Hemlock) had 10 points to go along with a game-high 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Junior Jordan Union (Jackson) scored six points and dished out seven assists.

For Kalamazoo, Adam Peters registered a team-leading 24 points. Grant Carey and Carter Goetz each had 13, while Josh Whitney finished with 11. Chase Baysdell pulled down a team-leading nine rebounds.

The Comets (4-15, 2-6 MIAA) return to the court Saturday night when they play a 7 p.m. contest at Alma College.