Men's basketball team falls to Adrian, 88-67, in MIAA Tournament
The Olivet College men’s basketball team concluded its season tonight with an 88-67 loss at Adrian College in the first round of the 2004 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament at the Merillat Center in Adrian.
The Olivet College men's basketball team concluded its season tonight with an 88-67 loss at Adrian College in the first round of the 2004 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament at the Merillat Center in Adrian. The Bulldogs advance to play at top-seed Hope College in the semifinals on Friday, Feb. 27 at 8:15 p.m.
In the first half, the Fighting Comets fell behind by as many as 26 points on two occasions with the last time being, 39-13, at the 6:22 mark. Olivet rallied to trail by 14 points, 47-33, at halftime.
The Comets trimmed their deficit down to three points, 55-52, with 9:43 left in the game when sophomore forward De'Andre Pruitt (River Rouge High School) nailed a jump shot. Adrian then scored the next seven points with a free throw and back-to-back three-pointers by Billy Collins to extend its lead to double digits. Pruitt made a three-pointer to cut the deficit back to five points, 66-61, at the 5:58 mark. The Bulldogs outscored Olivet, 22-6, in the final 5:58 for the victory.
Pruitt led the Comets with 20 points. Sophomore forward Steve Johnson (Detroit/Murray Wright High School) came off the bench to score 18 points and grab a team-best six rebounds in 26 minutes. Senior guard Matt Brawley (Niles High School) chipped in with 13 points.
Billy Collins paced five Bulldogs in double figures with a game-high 26 points. Brian Schaefer and Mike Lewis added 15 points apiece, followed by Mark Bohlen with 13 and Adam Novak with 10. Novak also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
