CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR JANUARY 10, 2007
Mixed Results for Basketball Teams * Women’s Team Rolls/Men’s Team Falls at Adrian
Rivalry Games With Hope On Deck
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
(Written by Calvin Sports Info Assistant Drew DeVries '08)
Calvin 79, Tri-State 40
Heading into tonight’s game against Tri-State, Calvin needed a win to assure at least a share of the MIAA conference lead as Hope also stood at 5-0.
The Knights, ranked 11th in the latest D3hoops.com poll, won 79-40 while Hope also won so the two rivals remain tied atop the conference at 6-0 each.
Calvin opened play with a 10-0 run and continued that run scoring off of fast-break opportunities which led to Tri-State finding itself in a 17-3 hole halfway through the first period. The Knights suffocated the Thunder with great defense forcing 16 turnovers in the first half and 28 for the game.
The Knights finished the half with a comfortable 38-16 lead behind balanced scoring and eleven assists.
Calvin opened up second half play on another run scoring the first nine points of the half. Calvin continued to build on its lead despite the occasional small run by the Thunder.
The Knights were led in scoring by senior Lisa Winkle (Grand Rapids/South Christian) who tallied 13 points and also collected a team high ten rebounds for the 36th double-double of her career. Sophomore Marcia Harris (Grand Rapids/GR Christian) was not far behind pouring in 11.
Sarah Howe led the Thunder behind an 11 point effort.
Calvin head coach John Ross was pleased with the efforts of his defense and the unselfish play of his team. “I was very pleased with the intensity and effort showed on the defensive side of the ball. Defense is always key and it led to lots of fast-break scoring opportunities.”
The Knights scored 26 of their 79 points in transition.
“We were unselfish out there and that’s what we have to do,” says Ross, “because teams are going to be able to take away our post-up and perimeter game. We looked for each other out there and were focused which is something we are going to have to continue doing all year.”
The Knights (12-1 overall, 6-0 MIAA) will travel to Holland on Saturday evening for a 7:30 night game against Hope. The winner of the contest will claim sole leadership in the MIAA conference.
OTHER MIAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCORES WEDNESDAY
Alma 77, Adrian 71
Hope 92, Olivet 63
Albion 80, Kalamazoo 42
MIAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 1-10-07 GAMES
Calvin 6-0
Hope 6-0
Olivet 3-3
Saint Mary’s 3-3
Albion 3-4
Alma 2-3
Adrian 2-4
Kalamazoo 2-4
Tri-State 0-6
MEN’S BASKETBALL
(Written by Calvin Sports Info Assistant Bruce VanBaren '09)
Adrian 79, Calvin 75
With both teams needing victories to remain tied with first place Hope College, Calvin lost to Adrian 79-75 in front of a pumped up crowd in Adrian, despite several exciting late second half surges.
"It's just a really disappointing defensive effort in the first half again. I thought we were past this after a good week of practice last week," a frustrated Coach Kevin Vande Streek said after the game.
Calvin jumped to an early nine-point lead, but Adrian outscored the Knights 36-15 to turn the game around and take a 14-point lead, its largest of the half, to the locker room.
Caleb Veldhouse (Souix Falls/ Souix Falls Christian) and Eric DeVries (Hudsonville/ Unity Christian) came out hot for the Knights early on before Corey Smith of Adrian connected on his first of four first half three point field goals. As a team Adrian shot 61.5% from the field and connected on 8 of 12 three pointers in the first half.
"We came out without much defensive urgency and when you get down that much in the first half it's tough to come back from that," Vande Streek said.
Calvin, who has been a strong second half team, appeared poised out of the locker room as Derek Griffin (Whitehall/ Muskegon CC) hit a three on Calvin's first possession, and Dustin Smith (Hamilton/ Hamilton) followed with two more in the next 6 minutes. But Ian Weber and Lamar Cardenas kept Adrian, who seemed unstoppable, rolling, answering Calvin's early second half surge with 9 quick points to protect the Bulldog's twelve point lead.
Adrian led by as many as 14 with 14:35 left in regulation, but Calvin kept on fighting.
The Knights threatened to come back with under six minutes to play when Veldhouse connected on two free throws to cut the lead to 7, but Desmond Young, who was benched with foul trouble in the first half, had the answer for Adrian give his team a double digit lead again
Calvin wouldn't go away as Dustin Smith who led the Knights with 15 points in the second half again cut the Adrian lead to seven with 3:40 left in the game. Young again had the answer converting on a three point play after he was fouled driving through the lane.
Smith came right back with a three and a layup off a rebound and assist from Josh Meckes (Bay City/Saginaw Valley). Veldhouse was unable to connect on a three after a Meckes steal. Ryan Gallus then hit what appeared to be the final blow with a three-pointer that put Adrian up 73-65 with 51 seconds to play.
But Calvin continued to claw; Veldhouse nailed a three and the Knights immediately fouled. After Adrian missed the front end of a one and one, Derek Griffin was mistakenly fouled and connected on two free throws to pull Calvin within three.
With 21.2 seconds Calvin fouled, and Smith hit both free throws for the Bulldogs. Veldhouse came right down the court to answer with a shot from downtown to make it 75-73 Adrian with 16 seconds in the game.
Calvin fouled Steve Thorton, a .556 free throw shooter, with 12.7 on the clock and the bonus on. He hit both foul shots to secure the victory for the Bulldogs.
With the win, Adrian moves to 3-0 in conference, tied with Hope for first place in the MIAA. Calvin falls to 2-1 and will head into the 159th edition of the Calvin-Hope rivalry game with a loss.
Caleb Veldhouse lead the Knights with 22 points, but shot only 8 for 21 from the field. Griffin tallied 19 points and Smith added 15, all in the second half.
Smith led the Bulldogs with 19 points and Young added 15 for Adrian which shot 53.8% overall.
Calvin out-rebounded Adrian 31-27 and did post a 16-8 assist-to-turnover ratio.
The Knights will face Hope Saturday at the Calvin Fieldhouse at 2:00 pm.
"Playing Hope is like playing Carthage, Wheaton and Wooster. We can't come out and be afraid, and be back on our heels," Vande Streek said. "We do well when we do the dictating... and if we don't it will end up like it did last time (we played Hope)."
OTHER MIAA MEN’S BASKETBALL SCORES WEDNESDAY
Hope 94, Albion 58
Alma 64, Kalamazoo 56
Tri-State 73, Olivet 68
MIAA MEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 1-10-07 GAMES
Adrian 3-0
Hope 3-0
Calvin 2-1
Tri-State 2-1
Alma 1-2
Olivet 1-2
Albion 0-3
Kalamazoo 0-3
Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Wed Jan 10 23:30:54 2007
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