Richardson’s 30 points help UOlivet come-from-behind to beat Albion, 69-66

OLIVET, Mich. – Sophomore Nathan Richardson scored 30 points, including seven in the final 90 seconds, to help The University of Olivet men's basketball come-from-behind to defeat Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Albion College, 69-66, tonight on Hathaway Court and inside the Cutler Event Center.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Olivet 69, Albion 66
• Location: Cutler Event Center; Olivet, Michigan
• Records: Olivet 3-11 overall, 1-2 MIAA; Albion 5-9 overall, 0-3 MIAA

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first 15 minutes of the game were close, as there were six tied scores and four lead changes. Neither team led by more than four points during that stretch. After an 18-18 tie, the Britons scored eight straight points to go up 26-18 with 4:06 left until halftime. Olivet cut the deficit down to four points before Albion went back up by eight points, 30-22. The Comets netted the final four points of the half to trail by four points, 30-26, at the halftime break.
• In the second half, the Britons used three straight three-pointers to extend its lead to 15 points, 50-35, at the 14:20 mark. Albion extended its lead to as many as 16 points on two occasions. Following the second time at 54-38, the Comets went on an 11-1 run over the four minutes to close the gap to six points. The Britons pushed their advantage back to nine points twice. After the second occasion at 62-53 with 6:27 remaining, Olivet used a 9-2 spurt to make the score 62-60 at the 4:07 mark.
• Albion got a three-point play to take a 65-60 lead with 3:40 left in the game. Sophomore Conner Schipper made a fastbreak layup for a 65-62 score. The Comets had a chance to cut the Briton advantage to one point but missed both free throws.
• Richardson then had two straight steals in the backcourt, followed by uncontested layups to put Olivet ahead by one point, 66-65. Albion turned the ball over on its next possession. Richardson split two free throws to make the score 67-65. He then had another steal and layup to create a 69-65 score.
• The Britons made the first free throw with 1.4 seconds left. Albion tried to miss the second free throw but was called for a lane violation and handing the ball to the Comets. Olivet turned the ball over before the last-second three-pointer for Albion was off the mark.

FOR THE COMETS

• Richardson canned 10-of-19 baskets and 10-of-12 free throws for his 30 points.
• Schipper tallied 13 points and seven rebounds.
• Freshman Porter Kretschman added 10 points, five rebounds and two steals.
• Sophomore Lee Hardy grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.

QUOTE FROM HEAD COACH SAM HARGRAVES

• "Obviously a win like that is always going to be special," said Olivet head coach Sam Hargraves. "Mainly because we had to be mentally tough to get that done. When Albion had the big scoring run to go up 16, nobody in the gym thought we would come back. The guys did not panic, kept digging in defensively, and made just enough plays to get the job done. Nate was special in the last 10 minutes. I hope the win gives everyone a much-needed boost of confidence going forward."

UP NEXT

• Olivet is on the road Saturday to play Calvin University. Tip-off at Van Noord Arena is scheduled for 3 p.m.