CSR (Women's Basketball Doubles Up Olivet/Men's Basketball Falls to Kalamazoo)

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR JAN. 8, 2011

Women's Basketball Doubles Up Olivet;
Men's Basketball Falls to Kalamazoo
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin 68, Olivet 34

By Sports Information Student Assistant Andrew Knot
The Calvin Knights reopened conference play with a dominating 68-34 victory
over the Olivet Comets on Saturday afternoon.
Calvin never trailed, opening the game with an early 17-6 lead. Jill Thomas
contributed two early three’s and Carissa Verkaik posted two blocks in the
opening five minutes to bolster Calvin’s advantage. Defensively, Calvin also
forced seven Comet turnovers and 20.8% shooting from the field. The Knights
entered halftime with a 40-18 lead.
The second half was more of the same. Though the Knights only scored 28
second half points, they held the Comets to 16, leaving the final score at
68-34.
Everyone on the Knights’ roster chipped in at least nine minutes. The scoring
also showed good balance. Six players scored more than five points. Verkaik
put up a double-double in the first half alone and finished with 16 points and
15 boards.
Eight three-pointers helped create an inside-outside threat that Coach John
Ross thought critical.
“All of those three’s were from the inside-out. If we can knock down three’s
that’s going to open up the post,” said Ross.
The victory was the first since returning from a California road trip where
the Knights finished 1-1. It advances Calvin’s record to 10-3 overall and 5-0
in the MIAA.

OTHER MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCORES Saturday

Kalamazoo 52, Alma 48
Hope 78, Adrian 46
Albion 60, Trine 47

MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 1-8-11 GAMES

Calvin 5-0
Hope 4-0
Albion 3-1
Saint Mary's 2-2
Trine 2-3
Olivet 2-3
Kalamazoo 1-3
Adrian 1-4
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Kalamazoo 73, Calvin 68
By Sports Information Student Assistant Andrew Knot
In their conference home opener, the Knights dropped a 73-68 decision to the
Kalamazoo Hornets.
A late first half run by Kalamazoo put Calvin into a big halftime hole. With
just under three minutes remaining in the first half, Calvin had a six point
advantage. Ryan Clark and the Hornets responded with a 16-0 run to give
Kalamazoo a 39-29 lead at halftime. Clark finished the half with 17 points and
six rebounds.
Calvin opened the second half on a mini-run of its own. The Knights scored
seven unanswered points to cut the lead to two. Senior Danny Rodts’ put back
with 12:24 remaining tied the game at 43. But
Calvin was unable to establish a significant lead after that. Kalamazoo
pulled ahead to a seven point lead after another three-pointer from Clark. Joe
Prepolec, a go-to scorer for the Hornets, fouled out with seven minutes
remaining.
Soon after that, freshman Jordan Brink capitalized on three consecutive free
throws to cut the deficit to one. With five and a half minutes remaining,
sophomore Tom Snikkers hit a jumper in the paint to tie the game for the fourth
time.
But Calvin wouldn’t lead after that. A Snikkers’ lay-up tied that game at 63
with 1:42 remaining, but the Calvin offense sputtered and Clark remained true
on the free-throw line. The Knights fell 73-68 after the Hornets went nine of
10 from the free throw line in the final minute.
After a hot-shooting night against Hope on Wednesday, Calvin shot a mere 15%
from the perimeter.
Coach Kevin Vande Streek highlighted the poor shooting and some careless
possessions on the loss.
“We have to value every possession. Games come down to the last two minutes
90 percent of the time,” said Vande Streek.
The loss drops Calvin to 6-7 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA. Vande Streek
acknowledged room for improvement as the conference season progresses.
“We have to go back to work and improve. By the end of the year we have a
chance to be a really good team, but we’re not there yet,” he said.
Kalamazoo’s Ryan Clark finished the game with 32 points and eight rebounds,
leading the Hornets in both categories.
Tom Snikkers lead the Knights with 18 points and 13 boards. Calvin hosts
Olivet on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
OTHER MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL SCORES Saturday
Albion 72, Alma 57
Hope 91, Trine 86
Adrian 54, Olivet 51

MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 1-8-11 GAMES

Albion 2-0
Adrian 1-1
Alma 1-1
Calvin 1-1
Hope 1-1
Kalamazoo 1-1
Olivet 1-1
Trine 0-2
Received on Sat Jan 8 18:37:31 2011