Previously:
7. Matt Veltema’s Only Field Goal Was a Good One (February
11, 2009)
You could usually say that Calvin was in trouble if Matt Veltema
connected on only one field goal attempt in a game, especially if it was a
Rivalry game against the Dutchmen.
Fortunately for the Knights, on this Rivalry day – the first
ever inside Van Noord Arena – one single made basket bay Veltema proved to make
all the difference in the world. Here’s the video (play begins at 2:16):
Calvin vs. Hope (February 11, 2009) from Calvin College on Vimeo.
It’s clear from the video clip that Hope’s game plan was to not allow Caleb Veldhouse, who had already recorded 19 points, to beat them. How many Hope defenders were keyed in on Caleb as he neared the elbow?
But Caleb didn't try to force up a shot. Instead, he saw Matt Veltema creeping toward the paint, and hit him for an easy layup. The play-by-play section of the box score sums up the emotion of the moment so succinctly:
GOOD! LAYUP by Matt Veltema [PNT] 00:03 63-62 H 1And so Matt Veltema became the hero of the game in the most un-Matt Veltema-like way. It wasn't a three pointer, it was a single layup. The shot gave the crowd exactly what it wanted: a win in the first Rivalry game in the new arena.
Last second winning shots aren’t a rarity in this rivalry,
but they sure are amazing when they go in the favor of the Knights. The Van
Noord Arena was certainly rocking on this night.
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