LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Calvin University men's basketball team scored a big win on the road at 14th-ranked UW-La Crosse by the final of 58-57 on Saturday.
 
Calvin (2-6) trailed throughout the game but battled to stay in the game with a tough defensive effort before finally broke through to take the lead on a game-winning three-point field goal by Owen Varnado (Muskegon, Mich./Western Michigan Christian) with 2.8 seconds remaining in the game.
 
UW-La Crosse (6-2) led for more than 36 minutes of game action but could never push its advantage higher than 10 points as the Knights continued to hang around looking to make a run.
 
Both teams struggled from the field to open the game, as the Knights shot 33.3 percent compared to 30.0 percent for the Eagles in the opening half as UWL took a 27-24 lead at the break. Ty Horky (Manchester, Ind./Manchester/Kalamazoo College) led Calvin with seven first-half points.
 
The Knights started to find a better offensive rhythm in the second half and shot 46.9 percent from the field after the break but could not get over the hump and wrestle the lead away for much of the second half.
 
Trailing 50-41 with 8:21 to play, the Knights' defense clamped down even harder on the UWL offense, holding the Eagles to only two field goals the rest of the way and forcing them to close the game at the foul line while the Knights scratched their way back.
 
Calvin still trailed 57-53 with under 90 seconds to play when Parker Swartz (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northview/Ohio Dominican University) converted a fast-break lay-up to cut the deficit to two. After an empty possession by the Knights and three missed free throws by the Eagles, Varnado found himself open in the corner off a baseline inbounds play and made the game-winner in front of the Knights' bench with 2.8 seconds to play to secure the win.
 
Calvin outscored the Eagles 34-20 in the paint for the game while also converting seven of its eight free throw attempts compared to 9-20 for UWL.
 
Varnado and Uchenna Egekeze (Huntley, Ill./Huntley) led the Knights with 12 points apiece. Varnado also led the Knights with seven rebounds and three steals. Egekeze finished with three blocks and three assists.
 
Horky and Swartz scored seven points apiece to lead the Calvin bench, which finished with 18 points for the game.
 
The win over the Eagles marked the second win for Calvin over a ranked opponent this season, joining the Knights' previous win over Saint John's University (Minn.), which was ranked 12th at the time of that contest. The game was also the fifth game (of eight) against a ranked opponent this season for the Knights.
 
COACH'S COMMENT: "That was a gritty win against a very good team," Calvin head men's basketball coach Bill Sall said. "Really happy for the guys. They have persevered through an incredibly difficult schedule. We found a way to win!"
 
NEXT UP: Calvin men's basketball returns home for its next game on Friday, December 13, when it hosts Grace Christian University at 7:30 PM at Van Noord Arena.