GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The 10th-ranked Calvin University men's basketball team dominated from start to finish in an 89-50 win over Albion College on Wednesday night in the regular season home finale and Senior Night at Van Noord Arena.
 
Calvin (21-3, 11-2 MIAA) controlled the game from the opening minute as it raced out to a 16-2 lead to start the game, and then closed the first half on a 9-0 run to take a 47-20 lead into the half.
 
Jalen Overway (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) was dominant down low with 16 first-half points on 8-12 shooting and also did a good job distributing the ball (three assists) and on the glass (five rebounds). Luka Ressler (Caledonia, Mich./Catholic Central) added nine points and four assists, while Uchenna Egekeze (Huntley, Ill./Huntley) led the defensive effort that forced 10 Albion (10-14, 4-9 MIAA) turnovers and 34.6 percent shooting.
 
The second half was more of the same, as the Knights opened the half with another big run (27-8) and pushed the lead as big as 47 points at 80-33 with 8:49 to play.
 
The big margin allowed the Knights to put in a line-up of all five seniors, as reserves Matt Ambrose (Kildeer, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson), Mitchell Cook (Williamston, Mich./Williamston) and Henry Goldkuhle (Traverse City, Mich./Traverse City Central) joined starters Egekeze and Marcus Bult (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Academy) for one final run together in their last home game.
 
The Calvin defense held the Britons to 34.5 percent shooting from the field and forced 14 turnovers, which the Knights turned into 19 points on the other end.
 
On offense, the Knights mixed in quality looks from inside the paint (44 points) and beyond the three-point arc, where they made 11 of 37 attempts.
 
Overway led the Knights with 20 points (10-16 shooting) and eight rebounds in only 21 minutes. Ressler added 15 points and seven assists, while Owen Varnado (Muskegon, Mich./Western Michigan Christian) and Egekeze added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
 
Egekeze also stuffed the stat sheet on defense, finishing with four blocks and three steals. Bult tied Overway for the team lead with eight rebounds to go with six points and four assists.
 
COACH'S COMMENT: "We started out the game and Uchenna had I think three steals in the first seven or so possessions," Calvin head men's basketball coach Bill Sall said. "Overall, our team defensive concepts really came through and kept them out of the paint and we were able to get out and get on some good, sustained runs. So that's exciting to me and we need to keep that going as we head on now to Trine and the MIAA Tournament."
 
"The legacy of those guys is unbelievable," Sall added about his seniors. "The first year they had was the COVID year, but 77 wins now and 23 losses, an MIAA championship, a Sweet 16 appearance. They did a great job putting Calvin basketball back on the national map. All of them in their different roles. It's truly been a blessing to have them and they're Knights for life."
 
NEXT UP: Calvin men's basketball returns to action on Saturday, January 17, when it travels to Trine University to take on the seventh-ranked Thunder in a game scheduled to tip off at 3:00 PM.