Men’s basketball team defeated by Thomas More, 90-62

CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Olivet College men's basketball team lost 90-62 to Thomas More (Ky.) College on the second day of the College of Mount St. Joseph Tip-Off Tournament at the Harrington Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Comets grabbed an early 4-2 lead. The Saints answered with a 26-5 scoring run to take a 28-9 lead with 10:43 left in the first half. Over the next four and one half minutes, Olivet came back with a 15-4 run to cut its deficit down to 32-24 when senior Dakotah Ellis (Birch Run) made a free throw to complete an old-fashioned three-point play.

Thomas More responded with an 18-5 run to stretch its lead back to 50-29. The Comets ended the half with a 7-1 run to trail by 15 points, 51-36, at halftime. The closest Olivet would get in the second half was 13 points with 18:55 remaining. The Saints led by as many as 33 points three times during the second half.

Senior Garner Small (Schoolcraft) led all scorers with 16 points. Senior Alvino Ashley (Detroit/Martin Luther King) joined him in double figures with 10 points. Three Olivet players each had four rebounds. Senior Matt El (Allegan) grabbed four rebounds, scored seven points and blocked two shots.

Eliot Pipes came off the bench to lead Thomas More with 12 points.

The Comets will play at Union (Ky.) College Tuesday evening at 7 p.m.