Olivet, Mich. - The 14th-ranked Alma College men's basketball team closed out the 2015-16 regular-season with a 97-85 win over Olivet College on Saturday (Feb. 20) evening at the Cutler Athletic Center. The Scots improved to 19-6 overall with the victory, marking the most wins for the program since the 1941-42 campaign, and only the fourth team in school history to reach the 19-win mark. Alma also finished 12-2 in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, good for second place in the final standings.

For the Scots, their second-place finish is the highest since the 1977-78 campaign when they shared the league crown with Albion.

Senior Scott Nikodemski (Rockford, Mich./Rockford) paced Alma with 19 points, shooting 9-for-11 from the floor, while sophomore Jason Beckman (Shelby, Mich./Shelby) added 17 points, including 3-for-4 shooting from three-point range.

Senior DJ Beckman (Shelby, Mich./Shelby) added 12 points, junior Chase Fairchild (Rockford, Mich./Rockford) scored 11 points - all in the first half - while junior Trevor Gernaat (McBain, Mich./Northern Michigan Christian/Mid-Michigan CC) and sophomore Doug Bradfield (Mason, Mich./Mason) each netted 10 as six Scots found double figures in scoring.

Sophomore Kevin Gamble (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sacred Heart) led Alma with eight rebounds.

Olivet was paced by Lee Gardner, who scored a game-high 50 points. Gardner was one point shy of the MIAA record for most points in a game, held by Dan Shinabarger, who scored 51 for Hope College on Feb. 21, 1970.

Alma will now advance to the MIAA Tournament and play for an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship. The Scots face Albion College on Friday, Feb. 26, at 3 p.m. at DeVos Fieldhouse on the campus of Hope College, the regular-season champion. The host Dutchmen will face Trine University at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, with the winners squaring off in the tournament championship on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 8:00 p.m.