Men’s Basketball: Olivet loses heartbreaker to Albion, 65-64

ALBION, Mich. – The University of Olivet men's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 65-64 loss to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Albion College tonight at Kresge Gymnasium.

• Final Score: Albion 65, Olivet 64
• Location: Kresge Gymnasium; Albion, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 2-12 overall, 0-3 MIAA; Albion 7-7 overall, 1-2 MIAA

• The Comets built a 13-point lead, 24-11, at the 7:43 mark of the first half. Olivet maintained the lead for the rest of the half and led by five points, 36-31, at the break.
• In the second half, Olivet extended its lead to eight points, 47-39. The Britons battled back with a 16-7 run to take their first lead of the half, 55-54. Albion pushed its lead to five points, 59-54. The Comets came back with a 10-4 run to go ahead by one point, 64-63, with 1:57 left in the contest. There was no more scoring until the Britons scored the winning basket with 28 seconds remaining. A last-second shot for the Comets rattled off the rim.

• Senior Ryan Bart led Olivet with 13 points.
• Freshman Conner Schipper tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds to go along with six blocks. The six rejections are tied for the second-most in a game since the 2002-03 season.
• Freshman Nathan Richardson also scored 12 points.
• Seniors Drew Weber and Noah Wiswary contributed eight points apiece.
• Weber recorded three steals.

• "Tonight, we we got out-toughed near the rim too many times at both ends of the floor," said Olivet head coach Sam Hargraves. "We didn't take advantage of some good opportunities for baskets around the rim, and we had a few too many help side rotation mistakes that gave them easy layups, and got out-toughed on too many block out situations to win."

• Olivet hosts Calvin University Saturday for the second game of a basketball doubleheader at the Cutler Event Center. Preceding the men's game, the Comet women also play Calvin. The women's game starts at 1 p.m., with the men's game to follow at approximately 3 p.m.