In front of a raucous student crowd, the Alma College Men's Basketball team hosted MIAA foe Trine University on Wednesday evening at Art Smith Arena. The Scots defeated the Thunder by a score of 58-53, using a stifling defense to frustrate the visitors all night long.

The magic of "The Art" continued as well, as the Scots remained undefeated in league play (5-0) on the home floor. With the win, Alma improved to 8-14 overall and 6-5 in the MIAA, while Trine fell to 15-7 on the 2014-15 campaign and 8-3 in the league.

"If you would have said to me that we would win this game 58-53, I would not have believed you," said Alma Head Coach Sam Hargraves. "They are a very good team, but tonight I thought our defense was outstanding and never really let them feel comfortable. I am proud of how our guys responded to a pressure situation of playing another good team in a game of importance.

"We will enjoy it tonight and then get back to work tomorrow. It doesn't get any easier with Hope coming to our gym on Saturday night, but this is what you work for all summer and fall - being in a position to control your own destiny in terms of a playoff spot. I also want to recognize the support of our crowd, especially our student section. They were fantastic and I want them to know how much it helps us and how much we appreciate it."

Alma embraced the moment from the beginning as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first 2:25 of the game. Trine would take a 10-8 advantage five minutes later, but when Jr. G Scott Nikodemski (Rockford/Rockford) drained a three-pointer at the 6:14 mark, the Scots would never trail again. That bucket gave the home team a 21-18 lead that would grow to eight points, 29-21, at the halftime break.

The game proved to be the polar opposite of the first meeting between the two teams. In that one, it was Trine that opened up a lead of about 10 points and never let the Scots catch up. Tonight, it was Alma with the hammer and the Thunder proved to be the nail.

So. F Tyler Edwards (Swartz Creek/Swartz Creek) put in a lay-up at the 15:26 mark of the second half, giving the Scots their biggest lead of the game at 38-27. As expected, the Thunder would make a run and they did by scoring the next eight points to cut their deficit to 38-35 at the 12:35 mark.

Trine would still only trail by two, at 46-44, when Jr. F DJ Beckman (Shelby/Shelby) swished a three-pointer that gave the Scots the five point advantage with 5:30 left in the game. That would prove to be the bucket that ripped the sails from the Thunder's back. The Scots increased the lead back to eight points twice before a half court shot at the buzzer by Trine completed the scoring.

Alma walked off the court with the well-deserved 58-53 victory, much to the happiness of the giddy home crowd at "The Art". The win, coupled with an Adrian loss to Albion, put Alma in sole possession of the final MIAA playoff spot with three regular season games remaining.

DJ Beckman had a monster night for the Scots as he finished with 22 points (four three pointers) and 11 rebounds, while So. G Chase Fairchild (Rockford/Rockford) was next with 15 big points. Nikodemski added nine points and three assists and Edwards notched four points, three assists and three rebounds in the win.

The Scots will host the Flying Dutch of Hope on Saturday night at Art Smith Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 8:00 p.m. with an Alumni game and a JV contest beforehand.

It's not too late to jump on the bandwagon! We need all the support we can get and encourage all of you and your friends to get out to "The Art" on Saturday night. It's too much fun to miss.

Go Scots!