KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Kalamazoo College men's basketball team could not find its shooting touch Tuesday night at Anderson Athletic Center, and as a result dropped a 77-61 decision to the University of Chicago Maroons.
Gabriel Sharp dropped 12 first-half points to help the Hornets (3-5) stay within four points, 30-26, at the half. Neither team shot the ball particularly well in the first twenty minutes, with Kalamazoo making 7 of 25 shots overall (28%) and just 2-11 from behind the three-point line (18%). The Maroons also struggled, sinking 10 of 32 from the field (31%), and 4-18 from behind the arc (22%).
Chicago found a groove in the second half, however, making 17-33 overall for 52% and 9-19 from long range (47%). The Hornets shot-making also improved in the second half but were unable to keep pace with the Maroon five, shooting 39% from the field (12-31) and 33% (4-12) from beyond the arc.
Chicago, which never claimed a lead larger than five points in the first half, wasted no time extending it in the second. The lead reached double digits for the first time at the 17:00 mark, 38-28, and a Maroon three-pointer capped a 22-8 run to make the score 60-36 with 10:00 remaining.
The closest K could come the rest of the way was when Nicholas Olmeda's steal and old-fashioned three-point play provided the final margin with 13 seconds remaining.
Sharp paced Kalamazoo with 15 points and added five rebounds, while Olmeda's 12 points made him the only other Hornet in double figures. Alex Rueff had a team-high seven rebounds and Addison Atwater notched seven points and four assists.
Kalamazoo took excellent care of the ball, committing just six turnovers to the Maroons' 14, but Chicago had big advantages in rebounds (52-29) and assists (20-9).
Next up for the Hornets is a road-trip to Cleveland for a 2 p.m. Friday tipoff at Case Western Reserve University.