OLIVET, Mich. – The 22nd-ranked Calvin University men's basketball team finished a three-game road swing in conference play with an 80-75 win at The University of Olivet on Wednesday.
 
The game, which was bumped up several hours due to inclement weather, started well for Olivet (8-14, 6-5 MIAA) as the Comets built an early seven-point lead, but Calvin (16-6, 11-0 MIAA) closed the half on a 27-10 run over the final 11 minutes to take a 34-24 lead into halftime.
 
Uchenna Egekeze (Huntley, Ill./Huntley) helped the Knights to the first half lead with nine points and seven rebounds. Ty Horky (Manchester, Mich./Manchester/Kalamazoo College) added eight points off the bench while the Knights held the Comets to 28.1 percent shooting in the opening half.
 
Calvin looked to put the game away early in the second half, pushing its halftime lead to 22 points at 56-34 following a Horky three-pointer with just over 13 minutes to play, but the Comets would not go away and started to chip into the Knights' lead.
 
Olivet cut the Calvin advantage into single digits with 6:22 to play and the Knights still leading 65-57 and remained in striking distance heading down the stretch, but Calvin held strong and never allowed its lead to get below five points the rest of the way to secure the win.
 
Egekeze finished with 18 points to lead four Calvin players in double figures and also added 11 rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks.
 
Owen Varnado (Muskegon, Mich./Western Michigan Christian) added 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Horky (14 points) and Parker Swartz (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northview/Ohio Dominican University) (11 points) each scored in double figures off the bench.
 
The win was the Knights' 15th in a row and capped a sweep of three straight road games within conference play.
 
COACH'S COMMENT: "Hard fought win on the road," Calvin head men's basketball coach Bill Sall said. "Things are never easy at Cutler Arena. Good to see a number of players step up tonight. Owen (Varnado) and Uchenna (Egekeze) were solid throughout. Some huge baskets in the second half by Parker Swartz, Ty Horky and Brady Ewing (Petoskey, Mich./Petoskey). Olivet kept coming at us and we survived. Looking forward to being back home after three road games in a row."
 
NEXT UP: Calvin men's basketball will return to action on Saturday, February 15, when it hosts Kalamazoo College in a game scheduled to tip off at 3:00 PM at Van Noord Arena.