KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Kalamazoo College men's basketball team hosted Grace Christian in its third straight home game to open the season on Wednesday (Nov. 15). After getting down by five with 10 minutes remaining, the Hornets went on a 16-0 run to capture a nine-point lead on the way to the 83-72 win.
The game began back-and-forth as both teams traded baskets, but then Kalamazoo worked to gain an 11-point lead with three minutes left in the first half. The Hornets ended up leading 36-29 at the half.
Grace Christian clawed back in the second half and eventually took a 46-44 lead with 11:23 remaining after a 16-1 run. Kalamazoo went on a run of its own, recapturing a nine-point lead with a 16-0 run, including four made threes. The Hornets made free throws down the stretch to secure the 11-point victory.
Kalamazoo shot 45.9 percent overall compared to 37.3 percent by Grace Christian. Kalamazoo made 12-of-35 3-pointers compared to 7-of-33 by GCU. Both teams made 15 free throws throughout the game. The Hornets also outrebounded the Tigers 49-39 and had 20 assists on 28 made field goals.
Ty Horky led the Hornets with 21 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Horky shot 7-of-13 from the field, including four buckets behind the arc. Carter Bandemer (18), Lukas Broadsword (13), and Gabriel Sharp (10) also scored double digits for Kalamazoo. Broadsword had the most rebounds at nine and steals with three.
Bobby Samples (8), Patrick Perez (6), DJ Ferguson (5), and Alex Rueff (3) rounded out the scoring for the Hornets.
Kalamazoo will hit the road to face Bluffton on Friday (Nov. 17), beginning at 7 p.m.