CSR (Men's Basketball Falls to Aquinas)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR DECEMBER 4, 2007

Men's Basketball Falls at Aquinas

MEN'S BASKETBALL
(written by Bruce VanBaren '09)
Aquinas 78, Calvin 62

Calvin couldn’t recover from an 8-2 Aquinas run to end the first half and fell
to the Saints for the second time this season, falling 78-62 Tuesday night at
the Aquinas College Fieldhouse. Calvin is now 4-3 on the year while Aquinas
improves to 9-0.

“The thing for us is we need to be tougher and we need to talk a little bit
better defensively,” said Calvin head coach Kevin Vande Streek. “There’s a
level of playing hard and then there’s where it’s absolutely all out where guys
are diving on the floor. We have great kids, I really like them, but they need
to be a little meaner out there.”

Ranked 22nd in the latest NAIA Division II Top-25 poll, Aquinas is off to its
best start in several years.

 “Tonight Aquinas was outstanding on defense,” said Vande Streek. “They made
shots tough for us and they were really good.”

Aquinas was led by James Telman who stepped up to hit five of five from the
field, including three triples in the opening eight minutes of the second half.
He finished with a game high 28 points and was nine of 16 from the field and
six of seven from beyond the arc.

John Lierman, who scored 26 points to lead Aquinas past Calvin in the Grand
Rapids Hall of Fame Championship game, went to the bench after picking up his
third foul on the first possession of the second half, but Telman more than
filled his shoes to lead the Saints to their ninth straight win to open the
season.

 “They have a nice team,” said Vande Streek. “We give them any crack and
they’re going to knock them in. Telman tonight really stuffed it in.”

Calvin cut the lead to six points with 8:39 remaining after a Caleb Veldhouse
(Sioux Falls Christian) score, but Lierman returned to hit five straight
points. The Knights were able to again cut a double digit lead to nine points
with 7:03 remaining, but Jeff Wierzbicki scored six points, four of which were
second chance points.

Calvin shot 40.7% and only 34.6% in the first half. Aquinas shot 49.1% from the
field, including 55.2% in the second half.

The Saints hit ten of 20 three pointers, while the Knights were five of 16.
Calvin was outrebounded 38-34 and shot only 56.3% from the free throw line.

“I have a hard time explaining that,” said Vande Streek. “We’re getting guys to
the line who we want to get to the line. “
Lazic finished with ten points and eight rebounds and Lierman finished with
seven. Wierzbicki added 15 points and six rebounds.

Calvin was led by Dustin Smith (Hamilton HS) with 13 points. Derek Griffin
(Muskegon CC) and Veldhouse added 12 and ten points respectively. Veldhouse
scored in double figures for the seventh time this season. 13 points was the
lowest team-high for the Knights this season.

Calvin will now break for first semester exams and return to action on
Saturday, December 15, when the Knights host Trinity Christian College at 3:00
p.m. at the Calvin Fieldhouse.

Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Tue Dec 4 22:48:14 2007