Shorthanded men’s basketball team upended at Calvin, 89-56

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Playing without two starters and two key bench players, the Olivet College men's basketball suffered an 89-56 loss to Calvin University in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) game this evening at Van Noord Arena.

Final Score: Calvin 89, Olivet 56
Location: Van Noord Arena; Grand Rapids, Michigan
Records: Calvin 11-6 overall, 4-2 MIAA; Olivet 5-12 overall, 2-4 MIAA

• The Knights built a nine-point lead, 11-2, at the 15:11 mark of the opening half. The Comets fought back to take a 22-21 lead after junior Noah Wiswary nailed a three-pointer with 10:24 left until halftime. Sophomore Dylan Hignite drained a jump shot to put Olivet by three points, 24-21. After the teams traded three-pointers, Hignite made a layup to make the score 29-24 at the 7:19 mark.
• Five straight Calvin points leveled the score. The Comets went ahead on a pair of free throws by senior Eddie Thigpen before the Knights regained the lead on a three-pointer. Thigpen answered with a layup to make the score 33-32.
• Calvin outscored Olivet, 12-16, over the final four minutes and 26 seconds of the half to take a 44-39 lead into the locker rooms. The Knights scored the first 10 points of the second half and never looked back.

• Freshman Lorris Upshaw scored a team-best nine points, while grabbing a game-best 11 rebounds.
• Hignite, Thigpen, and seniors Jameson Pavelka and Dane Vos each contributed eight points.

• Uchenna Egekeze, Thad Shymanski and Luke Morris netted 15 points apiece.
• Alec Fruin tallied 11 points.
• Jordan Katje pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.

• The Comets are on the road to play Trine (Ind.) University Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.