GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The 16th-ranked Calvin University men's basketball team opened conference play with a 91-78 win over Alma College on Wednesday night at Van Noord Arena.
 
Calvin (9-3, 1-0 MIAA) had to hold off a strong effort from Alma (2-10, 0-1 MIAA), which battled back from a slow start to trail by only two at the half.
 
The Knights looked ready to blow the game open from the opening tip as they raced out to a 17-3 lead with the help of two early three-point field goals from Luka Ressler (Caledonia, Mich./Catholic Central) and another from Jordan Scott (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth Christian Academy), but the Scots answered with an 18-3 run over the next seven minutes to take a 21-20 lead with 7:10 remaining before Jaydon Keefer (Ann Arbor, Mich./Ann Arbor Huron) ended the Knights' scoring drought with a three-point field goal.
 
The teams traded baskets back and forth the rest of the half before Scott drove in for a lay-up in the final seconds to send Calvin into the break with a 40-38 advantage. Trevin Winkle (McBain, Mich./Northern Michigan Christian) came up big in the final minutes of the half and had 12 points in the opening 20 minutes, while Jalen Overway (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) recorded four assists as the Scots' defense collapsed towards him on every pass into the post.
 
The Scots continued to hang around early in the second half, but the Knights finally started to create distance midway through the half with an 11-0 run to push a 66-60 lead into a 17-point advantage with under six minutes to play. Overway started the run on a lay-up from Winkle and added two free throws, and Brady Ewing (Petoskey, Mich./Petoskey) capped it with a three-pointer off an assist from Scott to give the Knights their biggest lead of the game and put the game away.
 
The Knights shot 50 percent from the field in the second half and outscored the Scots 26-14 in the paint. Scott led the second-half charge with 15 points, while Overway scored 13 and grabbed nine rebounds.
 
All five Calvin starters scored in double figures for the game, led by 20 points from both Scott and Winkle. Scott's 20 points marked a new career high.
 
Overway added 18 points and 17 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season, while Parker Swartz (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northview/Ohio Dominican) and Ressler each finished with 10 points apiece. Ressler also led the team with six assists without committing a turnover.
 
COACH'S COMMENT: "We just didn't have it to start, and to be honest we really didn't get it after," Calvin head men's basketball coach Bill Sall said. "We've got to be better than that. I was disappointed in our defense today. Credit to Alma. I thought they did a good job attacking us, but I was disappointed in how many times they got paint touches and got to spots. That just can't happen as we continue on. But also some good performances on offense from a lot of guys with five (players) in double figures. I thought Jordan Scott down the stretch played really well. Trevin played great and I thought he was probably our most consistent as far as getting us what we need."
 
NEXT UP: Calvin men's basketball returns to action on Saturday, January 10, when it travels to Adrian College for a game scheduled to tip off at 3:00 PM.