Men's basketball team defeats Kalamazoo, 67-66

Olivet College junior forward Ronnie Pearson (Holly High School) made a 10-foot jump shot with 16.4 seconds left and the Fighting Comets defeated Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) foe Kalamazoo College, 67-66, tonight at the Upton Center in Olivet. The victory snaps Olivet's five-game losing streak.

In the first half, the Hornets (7-13, 2-6 MIAA) had an early five-point lead, 13-8, with 15:12 left. Olivet (10-10, 4-4 MIAA) then went on a 10-0 run for an 18-13 lead. Kalamazoo answered by using a 15-5 run to lead again by five markers, 28-23, at the 5:53 mark. The Comets took a 32-31 lead with 3:19 left when sophomore forward Steve Johnson (Detroit/Murray Wright High School) made a jumper. Olivet had a 41-33 halftime lead.

The Comets extended their lead to 14 points, 50-36, in the first four minutes of the second half. The Hornets fought back to take their first lead, 66-65, with 1:36 left on a three-point basket by Jevon Caldwell-Gross. Pearson then nailed the game-winning shot for Olivet. Following two timeouts, Kalamazoo missed a shot at the buzzer.

In the game, the Comets made 25-of-50 shots from the floor, including eight-of-16 from three-point range. Sophomore forward De'Andre Pruitt (River Rouge High School) was the lone Olivet player in double figures with 18 points. He also grabbed a team-best seven rebounds. Johnson and Pearson added eight points apiece. Senior point guard Travis Schellhammer (Grand Ledge High School) was credited with a game-high seven assists and three steals.

Olivet will next be in action on Saturday, Feb. 7 when it travels to play Alma College at 7:30 p.m. as a part of a men's/women's basketball doubleheader. The Olivet women will play the Scots at 3 p.m.

Tony Wichmann had a game-high 22 points and nine rebounds to lead the Hornets. Caldwell-Gross and Herman contributed 15 and 10 points, respectively.