CLEVELAND – The Case Western Reserve Spartans had won eight games in a row and were getting votes in the latest D3hoops.com men's Top 25 poll, but the visiting Kalamazoo College Hornets gave them a battle for most of Friday's matinee before bowing, 94-74.
The Spartans jumped out to a 12-4 lead in the first 3:47, but a Josh Decker three-pointer, followed by five quick points from DJ Courtney, tied the contest with 15 minutes remaining in the half. A Gabriel Sharp bucket gave Kalamazoo its biggest lead of the game, 20-16, at the 11:52 mark.
The Spartans then went on an extended run, stretching their lead to 16 points, 45-29, with just over two minutes remaining in the half. K countered with its own 8-0 run to go into the break with a manageable 45-37 deficit.
K stayed within reach for much of the second half, trimming the lead to one point on multiple occasions. The Hornets were still within six points, 80-74, after Sam Coleman made a pair of free throws with 3:39 remaining, but Case Western Reserve then closed the game on a 14-0 run to sew up its ninth-straight victory.
Courtney led the Hornets (3-6) with 22 points - including sinking 4-6 from beyond the arc - and also added a team-high six rebounds and three assists. Sharp tallied 14 points and Decker 11 to complete the trio of Hornets that scored in double figures. Addison Atwater notched five points and a team-high five assists.
Case Western Reserve outpaced the Kalamazoo in overall shooting (52%-44%), rebounds (42-25), assists (18-14), blocks (9-0) and steals (8-3). The Hornets did shoot 11-29 (38%) from long range to best the Spartans' 8-30 (27%) performance, but the home team neutralized that stat by sinking twice as many free throws (18-9).
Next up for the Hornets is a Monday home contest against Hanover. The game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. tipoff.