GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The 10th-ranked Calvin University men's basketball team opened the 2023-24 season with a 75-64 win over Denison University on Saturday at Van Noord Arena.

Calvin (1-0) never trailed in the game, but Denison (1-1) was able to hang around throughout thanks to timely three-point shooting and switching defenses that gave the Knights problems at times, particularly in the first half.

Jalen Overway (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) got the Knights going on offense in the early going, scoring 13 points on 5-7 shooting in the first half as Calvin opened a 34-30 lead at the break.

The Knights began to pull away early in the second half, opening a double-digit lead 43-33 with 14:33 to play after a pair of Trip Riemersma (Holland, Mich./Zeeland East) free throws, but the Big Red would not allow the Knights to push their advantage higher than 14 points. 

With the Knights looking to put the game away, sophomore Luka Ressler (Caledonia, Mich./Catholic Central) came up with three big three-pointers in the second half, helping Calvin hold Denison at bay before the Knights were able to put the game away in the final minutes. 

While the switching Big Red defenses gave the Knights trouble at times, Denison could not find an answer for Overway down low as the sophomore center finished with 24 points on 9-13 shooting from the field. For the game, Calvin out-scored Denison 28-18 in the paint and out-rebounded the Big Red 35-24.

Uchenna Egekeze (Huntley, Ill./Huntley) and Ressler joined Overway in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Owen Varnado (Muskegon, Mich./Western Michigan Christian) led the Knights with eight rebounds to go with his eight points. 

COACH'S COMMENT: "It was a good first win," Calvin head coach Bill Sall said. "I think a lot of things to work on. I thought Denison came in here and played really hard. They gave us some really tough defensive possessions, and they shot the ball really well. I'm happy with the win, but I also know we have some things to figure out."

NEXT UP: Calvin men's basketball returns to action on Friday, November 17, when it plays in the Great Lakes Invite hosted by Wittenberg College. The Knights will face Marietta at 3:00 PM on Friday, followed by a 1:00 PM game against La Roche on Saturday, November 18.