OLIVET, Mich. – The Calvin University men's basketball team fought all the way back from an early deficit but could not hold off the Comets from The University of Olivet in the final minute of a 78-76 road defeat on Wednesday.
 
Olivet (13-9, 10-1 MIAA) opened the game with a 14-4 run and controlled the first half as Calvin (15-7, 7-4 MIAA) tried to make up for the slow start for much of the game.
 
The Comets' Sean Shenker scored eight early points during the Olivet opening spurt while the Knights struggled with 10 first-half turnovers on the offensive end and trailed 39-32 at the half.
 
Jalen Overway (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) went 9-11 in the half for 18 points and the Knights shot 53.6 percent from the field, but the Comets outscored Calvin 7-1 at the free throw line and 12-3 from beyond the three-point arc to take the seven-point lead into the break.
 
The Knights continued to chip away at the lead until just after the midway point of the second half when a Trevin Winkle (McBain, Mich./Northern Michigan Christian) lay-up with 9:07 to play gave the Knights their first lead of the game at 59-58.
 
The lead was short-lived as Olivet answered with an 8-0 run, but Calvin once again came back to tie the game at 72-72 with 3:16 to play following two Winkle free throws.
 
After three Olivet free throws gave the Comets a three-point edge (75-72) heading into the final two minutes, Calvin cut the deficit to one on a Winkle jumper and then took the lead with 55 seconds remaining after a pair of free throws from Zion Ruckard (Aurora, Colo./Eaglecrest/St. Thomas Aquinas).
 
The Knights forced a miss on the next Olivet possession, but an offensive rebound and foul sent Sam Howard to the line, where he made both free throws with 38 seconds to play to put the Comets back on top 77-76. The Knights had two chances to take the lead in the final 20 seconds, but could not get either look to fall as the Comets held on for the win.
 
Calvin shot 56.4 percent from the field for the game compared to 43.9 percent for the Comets, but Olivet finished the game 21-31 from the charity stripe (compared to 9-14 for the Knights).
 
Overway led the Knights with 30 points on 14-18 shooting from the field to give him six games this season of at least 30 points. Winkle added 11 points, while Ruckard scored 10 off the bench.
 
Jordan Scott (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth Christian) scored eight points off the bench in his return to action for the first time since mid-January. Luka Ressler (Caledonia, Mich./Catholic Central) led the team with six assists and surpassed the 300 assist milestone for his career.
 
NEXT UP: Calvin men's basketball will return to action on Saturday, February 14, when it hosts Trine University in a game scheduled to tip off at 3:00 PM at Van Noord Arena.