Didn't expect that type of a game, but I'll take it all day every day.
Calvin coupled early defensive intensity with efficiency on the offensive end and really seemed to put Albion away before the Britons even realized the game had started.
The scored on each of their first five possessions on 5-7 shooting (with two offensive rebounds) while forcing Albion into 1-3 shooting (one shot was blocked), two turnovers, and no second chances. That made the it a 12-2 game with just over 16 minutes to play in the first half.
The Britons spent the next three or four minutes making a brief stand, but they only cut the lead down to six before the Knights exploded for 15 straight points. There was still six and a half minutes left in the half, but it appeared that Albion lost whatever focus they may have had. The Briton offense turned into chucking up any sort of shot whatsoever which, needless to say, didn't really help them out. The game was effectively over.
Game Chart
| Player | %Min | %Shots | eFG% | PPWS | FTr | Ar | TO% | Rb% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powell | 0.58 | 0.19 | 0.600 | 1.20 | 0.00 | 0.23 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Salo | 0.48 | 0.18 | 1.000 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.32 | 0.20 | 0.03 |
| Rodts | 0.45 | 0.24 | 1.000 | 2.02 | 0.40 | 0.26 | 0.25 | 0.28 |
| Snikkers | 0.53 | 0.33 | 0.813 | 1.68 | 0.25 | 0.52 | 0.10 | 0.13 |
| Schuster | 0.50 | 0.30 | 0.929 | 1.89 | 0.29 | 0.13 | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Brink | 0.38 | 0.12 | 0.000 | 0.68 | 1.00 | 0.21 | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Rietema | 0.23 | 0.10 | 0.000 | 1.03 | 2.00 | 0.17 | 0.00 | 0.06 |
| Haverdink | 0.20 | 0.22 | 0.000 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.19 | 0.60 | 0.00 |
| Schnyders | 0.40 | 0.27 | 0.200 | 0.72 | 0.80 | 0.00 | 0.42 | 0.11 |
| Vallie | 0.13 | 0.35 | 1.000 | 2.02 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 0.29 | 0.11 |
| Fabiyi | 0.13 | 0.00 | 0.000 | 1.05 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.34 | 0.11 |
| Kruis | 0.38 | 0.06 | 1.500 | 2.05 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.61 | 0.08 |
| DeBoer | 0.25 | 0.26 | 0.833 | 1.67 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.06 |
| DeYoung | 0.40 | 0.05 | 0.000 | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.29 | 0.00 | 0.14 |
| Team | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.696 | 1.42 | 0.50 | 0.77 | 0.26 | 0.55 |
Calvin turned the ball over too many times, but they still managed a great offensive day (and a win). There goes any chance I had at credibility, right?
David Rietema had his first real action of the season, and I have to say that I was impressed. I hadn't really seen him play in JV last year, but he came into the game and made a few plays on the offensive end. It was a small sample, and I'm not sure if Albion had full guns blazing at that point, but he showed good court vision and awareness of where all of his teammates were. He may never be an elite scorer (then again, what do I know?), but I can definitely see where he could contribute to the team.
Lots of great numbers out there. Danny Rodts had a fantastic day; he was one rebound shy of a double-double.
The rest of the starting five had nice days on offense. Not really enough space to name them all (sure there is: Powell, Salo, Schuster, Snikkers), but well done.
A team eFG% of nearly 0.700? Unreal.
They simply got it done on both ends of the floor. Not much else to add at this point. This one will be fun to look at for +/-.
Oh yeah, hopefully the injury to Brian Haverdink isn't too severe. I'm not positive if it was a knee or an ankle, but he came up limping after making a fantastic play to break up a 2-on-1 Albion fast break. Get well soon.
Other Good News
Ohio Wesleyan defeated #11 Wabash. You may remember the OWU Battling Bishops from the 20-something point shellacking that Calvin gave them in the Tip-off Tournament back in November. They've been playing better as of late (they're on a seven game winning streak), and every win they get helps out Calvin's strength of schedule. Go Bishops!
Hope topped Kalamazoo in overtime. I'm listing this as good news, and many Calvin fans may disagree, but hear me out. If the ultimate goal is making the NCAA tournament, and you don't want Calvin to have to win the conference tournament to get there, then it probably behooves the Knights for Hope to have as good of a record as possible. That is, if we think Calvin is going to meet up with Hope in the MIAA Tournament. You need your schedule to look good if you want an at-large selection into the tournament. I've even thought that it may be best for Calvin if Hope wins the regular season title, but that might be a bit of a stretch, and it's definitely a separate post.
