By Mitch Blankespoor
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Kalamazoo College men's basketball team fell in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play Wednesday with a 86-59 loss at Calvin.
Kalamazoo began the day shooting well, scoring on its first three possessions of the game to take a 6-5 lead. Calvin, who also hit its jump shots early, tied the game at 12 when Brad Visser connected on a layup.
"We knew we had to come out and be the aggressive in the first five minutes of the game," Kalamazoo Head Coach Eric Dougal said. "We got to the basket and created some open shots which we knocked down."
After a basket from each team and the score tied at 14 with 13:45 to play in the first half, Calvin went on a 9-0 run over the next four minutes to take a 23-14 lead.
Kalamazoo responded with a three-pointer from freshman guard Adam Dykema, but Kalamazoo could not stop Calvin's offense. The Knights continued to score from the post as Calvin took a 45-27 lead into halftime.
Kalamazoo shot 31 percent (10-32) from the field in the first half while host Calvin shot 59 percent (19-32). Both teams connected on four shots from beyond the arc while each team also committed three turnovers.
Calvin would score the first basket of the second half to lead by 20 points. Kalamazoo could get no closer.
Dykema finished with a game-high 21 points on 9-17 shooting to lead Kalamazoo. Junior Carter Goetz and senior Grant Carey also finished in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively. Goetz also added 10 rebounds to finish his double-double.
"Adam [Dykema] is a threat to score every time he touches the ball," Dougal said. "We are excited about his future. As for Carter [Goetz], he has been working on getting to the basket. He did a great job getting to the free throw line tonight."
Calvin had four players finish in double figures.
Kalamazoo finished the day shooting 38 percent (23-60) from the field while Calvin shot 51 percent (35-69). The Knights grabbed 39 rebounds compared to 35 for Kalamazoo.
Kalamazoo dips to 9-13 on the season and 4-7 in the MIAA. The Hornets return home Saturday, Feb. 15 for a 3:00 p.m. contest with Adrian.