By Staff
The Olivet College men's basketball team fell to non-league foe Cornerstone University, 103-80, Saturday afternoon at the Upton Center.
The Fighting Comets (6-5) started the game with a 9-2 run. Olivet also held a 14-8 lead at the 15:18 mark. The Golden Eagles (14-3) gained momentum and forced a 19-19 tie with 8:06 remaining in the opening half.
Jim Cochran nailed a 3-pointer 20 seconds later to give Cornerstone the lead, which it never relinquished for the remainder of the game. In the first half, the Golden Eagles led by as many as 14 points on a three-point basket at the halftime buzzer.
In the second half, Cornerstone sealed the victory by making 20-of-27 shots from the floor and 11-of-12 free throws. Olivet made just 16 field goals and nine free throws. The Eagles' biggest lead was 27 points at the 1:54 mark.
For the game, Cornerstone shot 68 percent (34-of-50) from the floor, and outrebounded the Comets, 39-21. The Golden Eagles also made 26 free throws to 12 for Olivet.
Senior guard Matt Brawley, a Niles High School graduate, paced four Comets in double figures with 15 points. Sophomore forward De'Andre Pruitt contributed 13 points and a team-high four rebounds. Sophomores Dan Bonnell and Derek Cox, also of Niles, chipped in with 10 points apiece.
Olivet is next in action on Wednesday, Jan. 7, when it hosts Albion College at 7:30 p.m. The game will be the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association opener for both teams.
Cornerstone….103
Olivet……………..80
Cornerstone: Keith Wurn 7 12-12 27, John Freund 6 3-6 19, Andy Bronkema 4 0-0 8, Jim Cochran 4 2-2 11, John Jonker 1 2-2 4, Drew Martin 0 0-0 0, Mike Cameron 3 0-0 7, Kevin Wurn 1 0-0 3, Josh Liggins 2 1-2 6, R.C. Douglas 0 0-0 0, Derek Douglas 2 4-4 8, Jeff DeVries 2 2-2 6, Chris Posthumus 2 0-0 4. Totals: 34 26-30 103
Olivet: Thad Mitchner 1 4-7 6, Travis Schellhammer 3 1-2 9, Matt Brawley 4 4-6 15, De'Andre Pruitt 6 0-0 13, Derek Cox 5 0-1 10, McKinsey Golfin 1 0-0 2, Dan Bonnell 3 1-2 10, Richard Britton 1 0-0 3, Derek Kurtz 1 0-0 2, Steve Johnson 1 1-2 3, Eddie Ward 1 0-0 2, Willie Johnson III 0 0-0 0, Andy Storey 2 1-2 5. Totals: 29 12-22 80
Halftime score: Cornerstone 48, Olivet 34
3-point shooting: Cornerstone 9 (Freund 4, Keith Wurn, Cochran, Cameron, Kevin Wurn, Liggins), Olivet 10 (Brawley 3, Bonnell 3, Schellhammer 2, Pruitt, Britton). Team fouls (fouled out): Cornerstone 21 (none), Olivet 22 (none). Team records: Cornerstone 14-3, Olivet 6-5