CKSR (Basketball Teams Claim Saturday Victories)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR DECEMBER 29, 2012

Basketball Teams Claim Saturday Victories
 
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin 67, Concordia (Wisc) 54
 
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - The third-ranked Calvin women's basketball team claimed
a 67-54 victory over Concordia of Wisconsin Saturday afternoon to improve to
10-1 on the season.
 
The Knights used strong post play to claim the win as senior Julia Hilbrands
notched a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds off the bench while
senior Carissa Verkaik had 18 points and 8 boards while battling foul trouble.

 
Calvin led 46-27 at halftime and led by 21 points at 65-43 with 3:52 to play
before Concordia used a late scoring spurt to make the final margin of victory
13 points.
 
Calvin shot 71 percent from the floor in the first half and held a 44-38
rebounding advantage.
 
"I was pleased with our effort today," said Calvin women's basketball coach
John Ross. "Julia Hilbrands had her best game of the year and it was good to
see her get going. We'll need her production as we get back into league play
next week."
 
Calvin will return to action on January 5 when it travels to Trine for a 3
p.m. MIAA contest.
 
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin 87, Ripon 62
 
Story by Mitch Blankespoor
 
ELMHURST, ILL. – The Calvin men’s basketball team captured the Elmhurst
Bluejay Classic championship with a 87-62 win over Ripon College, Wis. late
Saturday afternoon. Senior Tom Snikkers (Hudsonville/Unity Christian) and
sophomore Jordan Brink (Dyer, Ind./Illiana Christian) were named to the
all-tournament team.
 
The game was close for the first 15 minutes. A free throw from Ripon senior
forward Andy Popp (Brillion, Wis./Brillion HS) tied the game at 26 apiece with
5:30 to play in the first half.
 
Then Calvin made its run. The Knights went on a 25-3 run to end the first
half, and led 51-29 at the break.
 
Brink had 22 points at halftime including 8-9 from the floor and a perfect 6-6
from beyond the arc. 11 of his 22 points came during the Knights’ run.
Snikkers had 14 at the break; two coming from a dunk in transition.
 
“We were firing on all cylinders at the end of the first half,” said head
coach Kevin Vande Streek after the match. “We needed to keep up the intensity
and not let up in the second half.
 
Calvin could not do so early-on in the second half. Ripon hit three straight
three=pointers, cutting Calvin’s lead to 11 points with 11:21 to play.
 
The Red Hawks could get no closer. The Knights pushed the lead back to 20
four minutes later, and coasted for their ninth victory of the season.
 
Brink and Snikkers led Calvin scoring 27 and 21 points respectively. Senior
Matt DeBoer (Hudsonville/Covenant Christian) scored 12 points in 15 minutes.
 
“Ripon made its run, but we fought it off,” Vande Streek said. “Jordan
[Brink] and Tom [Snikkers] were great in all facets of the game.”
 
Calvin shot a season-high 63.2 percent from beyond the arc in the contest.
The Knights’ defense held Ripon to a mere 29.7 percent shooting from the
field.
 
Ripon senior forward Taylor Koth (Cedarburg, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) led
the Red Hawks with 18 points in defeat.
 
Calvin finishes the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 9-2 record.
The Knights open up MIAA play with a game against the undefeated and nationally
ranked Adrian Bulldogs on Thursday, Jan. 3 at Calvin’s Van Noord Arena. The
game is slated to start at 7:30 p.m.
Received on Sun Dec 30 01:47:45 2012