Men’s basketball team drops game to rival Albion, 88-79

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College men's basketball team came up short against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Albion College, 88-79, tonight at the Cutler Event Center.

Final Score: Albion 88, Olivet 79
Location: Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Michigan
Records: Albion 8-7 overall, 4-1 MIAA; Olivet 5-11 overall, 2-3 MIAA

• The Britons built a 10-point lead on four occasions. After the last time at 24-14, the Comets went on a 12-2 run to level the score at 26-26 with 6:51 left until halftime. Albion scored the next six points before a 5-0 Olivet spurt closed the gap to a single point, 32-31. The Britons ended the half by scoring nine of the final 14 points to take a five-point lead, 41-36, into the locker rooms.
• In the second half, Albion led by seven points, 53-46, at the 15:53 mark. Olivet used four quick points, including a dunk by senior Tevin Ali, to cut its deficit down to three points. The Comets would not get any closer for the rest of the game, as the Britons extended its advantage to as many as 15 points, 74-59.

• Senior Derrick Johnson led Olivet with 19 points, including five baskets from three-point territory.
• Junior Noah Wiswary scored 13 points, while dishing out five assists.
• Senior Eddie Thigpen had 10 points.
• Ali finished with eight points and five rebounds.
• Senior Dane Vos tallied six points, team-best seven rebounds, three assists and four blocks.

• "We had a nice, emotional effort tonight," said Olivet head men's basketball coach Sam Hargraves. "The atmosphere, the crowd, the student section were amazing. We played hard but we've got to get to the next level of execution, decision making and being tougher around the basket on both ends of the court. We are still having too many defensive breakdowns in the half court set."

• Cortez Garland scored a game-best 21 points.
• Justin McAbee contributed 13 points.
• Devin Holmes registered 11 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

• Olivet welcomes Kalamazoo College to the Cutler Event Center Saturday afternoon for a 1 p.m. contest.