The Alma College Men's Basketball team looked to return to their winning ways today when they traveled south to take on Olivet College in a MIAA tilt. Alma came out of the gate quickly and never trailed in the contest, ultimately defeating the Comets by a score of 75-57.

With the win, the Scots improved to 5-5 in the MIAA and 7-14 overall, while Olivet is now 2-8 in the league and 4-17 in 2014-15. With Adrian losing today, Alma is now tied with the Bulldogs for the fourth and final playoff spot with four games remaining.

"This was a huge road victory and a very important game," said Scots Head Coach Sam Hargraves. "We played with confidence and poise for the most part. It also helps when some shots go in. We got off to a great start shooting the ball, and that can make a big difference in this league because everyone defends so well. Defensively, we were pretty focused today."

Alma So. G Chase Fairchild (Rockford/Rockford) opened the scoring with a three-pointer just 53 seconds into the game and the Scots never really looked back from there. It was a 6-4 game when Alma went on a 12-2 run that gave the visitors a 18-6 lead, the last basket being a three from Jr. F Ethan Woelke (Keego Harbor/Orchard Lake St. Mary's).

The Scots would extend that advantage to 17, at 33-16, with 4:51 left in the first half and ultimately coast into the break with a lead of 42-26.

The biggest concern for the Scots heading into the second half was not to let down and let the Comets back into contention. That proved to be an unwarranted concern as Alma was not going to let this one get away.

The lead extended to 54-34 after two free throws by Jr. F JR James (Shelby/Shelby) with 14:51 left in the game. Olivet scored the next five points, but the Scots would eventually build a 25-point cushion, 70-45, when Fairchild made a free throw at 6:41.

The two teams basically traded baskets for the remainder of the game and the Comets gained some ground once the teams emptied the benches and gave many different players a chance to play. Woelke made a jump shot that closed out the scoring and the Scots walked off the court with the 75-57 win.

10 different players scored for the Scots in their balanced offensive attack. Fr. F Doug Bradfield (Mason/Mason) led the way with 14 points, while Fairchild had 12 and Jr. G Scott Nikodemski (Rockford/Rockford) finished with 11. Jr. F DJ Beckman (Shelby/Shelby) had a team-high seven rebounds, while Nikodemski and Fr. G Jason Beckman (Shelby/Shelby) each had four assists.

The next three contests for the Scots will be played at "The Art", where the home team has won their past four games on the friendly court. First up will be Trine University on Wednesday evening, with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m.

It should be a fun final two weeks of the regular season for the Scots and their fans! Please get out to "The Art" and cheer the team on - it helps more than you can imagine!