CKSR (Calvin Knight Saturday Sports Report for Jan. 12, 2013)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR JAN. 12, 2013

Women's Basketball Edges Hope in MIAA Showdown;
Men's Basketball Takes Out Alma - Sets Up Showdown With Hope Next Wednesday;
Swimming and Diving Teams Close Out Competition at U. of Chicago Invitational

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin 64, Hope 59
By Mitch Blankespoor

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The second-ranked Calvin women’s basketball team faced off
against rival Hope Saturday, Jan. 12 at the Van Noord Arena. In front of 2,973
fans, Calvin defeated fifth-ranked Hope 64-59 to improve to 13-1, 7-0 MIAA on
the season.
Calvin sophomore guard Kayla Engelhard (Unionville/Saginaw Valley Lutheran)
scored seven of the Knights’ first nine points, en route to a 9-5 Calvin lead.
Hope senior Meredith Kussmaul answered. A season ago, Kussmaul was held out
of all three Calvin-Hope matchups after suffering a season ending injury in
December. Kussmaul scored 11 of Hope’s first 12 points, and cut Calvin’s lead
to 19-14.
With Calvin holding a slim 19-16 lead, senior forward Carissa Verkaik
(Holland/Holland Christian) picked up her second foul with 8:53 remaining in
the first half. Verkaik, Ally Wolffis (Muskegon/Mona Shores), Julia Hilbrands
(Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian) and Maria DeKuiper (Bradenton,
Fla./Bradenton Christian) all had two fouls.
Hope took advantage of all four Calvin post players in foul trouble. A
three-pointer from sophomore Brittany Berry (Grand Rapids/Catholic Central)
with 2:42 cut Calvin’s lead to just two points; 27-25.
Wolffis could manage just one of four free throws in the final minute, and
Hope made Calvin pay. Senior Courtney Kust (Cincinnati, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills
Christian) missed a shot with a second to go, but junior Megan Kelley
(Rockford/Rockford HS) tipped in the rebound at the buzzer, giving Hope a 29-28
lead at halftime; the Flying Dutch’s first lead of the half.
“My team showed great resilience to come back from 10 down and take the lead
at halftime,” said Hope head coach Brian Morehouse after the game. “We kept up
the pressure on defense.”
Kussmaul led all scorers at the half with 14 points. Engelhard led the
Knights with nine points at halftime. Calvin outrebounded Hope 21-19 in the
first half despite committing 18 turnovers.
Hope’s biggest lead would come at the 10:25 mark of the second half. The
Flying Dutch led by six. Two jumpers from Carissa Verkaik and a layup from
Englehard later, and the game was tied at 49.
“While it was frustrating to sit out in the first half, I trusted my teammates
to keep us in the game,” Carissa Verkaik said after the game. “Once the second
half started, I just went back to playing normally.”
Hope would again lead 54-51 with six minutes remaining. Calvin went on a 9-0
run in the next four minutes and regain the lead 60-54. Hope got within three,
but could not tie the game. Calvin had defeated Hope for the fifth straight
time at the Van Noord Arena.
“I’m just relieved to come away with the win,” Calvin head coach John Ross
said in a postgame interview. “Hope is such a good team, and they are so well
coached. We played just well enough to win.”
Carissa Verkaik and Engelhard led the Knights scoring 17 and 16 points
respectively. Hilbrands chipped in 11, and senior Logan Marsh (Byron
Center/Byron Center HS) chipped in eight points and three steals.
Kussmaul and Kelley led Hope with 16 and 13 points respectively in defeat.
Calvin shot and even 50 percent from the field, but turned the ball over 28
times and shot just 62.1 percent from the free throw line.
“We earned a victory tonight, but we have a lot of work to do,” said Ross.
“If we want to make a run at this, we need to grind through these games of
not playing our best and still finding a way to win.”
Calvin returns to action Jan. 16, when it travels to Adrian for a 6:00 p.m.
contest with the Bulldogs.

Mlive.com story at:
http://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/index.ssf/2013/01/calvin_college_womens_basketba.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Holland Sentinel Story at:
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1665861441/Fifth-ranked-Hope-College-womens-basketball-loses-fifth-in-a-row-at-No-2-Calvin?zc_p=1

Chimes story at:
http://www.calvin.edu/chimes/2013/01/12/womens-basketball-wins-fifth-consecutive-home-victory-over-hope/

Chimes photo gallery at:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151357602035489.496944.166154750488&type=1

MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 1-12-13 GAMES

Calvin 7-0
Hope 6-1
Olivet 6-2
Adrian 3-4
Saint Mary's 3-4
Alma 3-4
Trine 3-4
Albion 1-6
Kalamazoo 0-7

MEN'S BASKETBALL
Calvin 86, Alma 63
by Mitch Blankespoor
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Looking for its eighth straight win, the Calvin College
men’s basketball team hosted the Alma College Scots on Saturday, Jan. 12.
Calvin defeated Alma 86-63 to improve to 13-2 (4-0 MIAA) on the season.
The Scots, who average taking roughly 25 three-pointers a game, got on the
board early and led 5-2 two minutes into the contest.
This was the only time Alma held the lead. The Knights stormed back with a
21-4 run, and led 21-9 after two free throws from sophomore guard Jordan Brink
(Dyer, Ind./Illiana Christian).
Calvin would extend its lead to 42-24 at halftime. Calvin scored 22 points
off the bench in the first half. 12 of those points came from senior guard
Bryan Powell (Wyoming/Wyoming Park) on 5-7 shooting from the floor.
The Scots shot just 32.1 percent from the floor in the first half, and a mere
3-16 from beyond the arc.
Alma could not cut Calvin’s lead in the second half. The Knights led by as
many as 34 points. Alma finished the game shooting 27.6 percent from beyond
the arc and 41.4 percent from the field.
“It helped that Alma missed some shots in the early going,” said Calvin head
coach Kevin Vande Streek. “We came out with great intensity, and really locked
down on defense.”
Junior center Tyler Kruis (Grandville/Calvin Christian) led Calvin scoring 21
points and grabbing four rebounds. Senior Tom Snikkers (Hudsonville/Unity
Christian) came up one point short of three consecutive 20-point performances.
Snikkers finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists and one steal.

Alma was led by Brandon Krause (Sanford/Meridian) with 14 points in defeat.
Calvin outrebounded Alma 39-28 in the contest, and had 22 assists compared to
just 10 turnovers.
“I couldn’t be happier with our senior class,” said Vande Streek after the
match. “Tommy [Snikkers] is such a tough assignment to guard. He brings
smaller players into the block, and is quick enough to get around bigger
guys.”
Calvin returns to action Wed. January 16, when the Knights host rival Hope
College at the Van Noord Arena. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start.

MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL STANDINGS THROUGH 1-12-13 GAMES
Calvin 4-0
Hope 4-0
Trine 3-1
Olivet 2-2
Adrian 1-3
Alma 1-3
Kalamazoo 1-3
Albion 0-4

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING

CHICAGO, IL - The Calvin men's and women's swimming and diving teams closed
out two days of competition at the University of Chicago Invitational Saturday
night. The Calvin women took second with 777 points while the Calvin men took
third with 607.5 points.

A full recap will be sent out later this weekend. Meet results can be found
online at:
http://www.calvin.edu/sports/womens/swimming/results/2013/2013%20CI%20Full%20Results.htm
 
 
 
Received on Sun Jan 13 00:41:51 2013