ALMA, Mich. - The Alma College Men's Basketball team put up a strong first-half effort but ultimately fell to Calvin University 74-52 at Art Smith Arena on Wednesday night. Alma held a 32-23 lead at halftime before a dominant second-half performance from Calvin sealed the victory for the Knights. 

The Knights came out of the gate hot and bolted to a 12-2 lead. The Scots aggressively came back with a 15-4 run of their own. This run was showcased by a various stops on defense and sequence of three straight triples by Josh Elliott. Elliott would be a spark plug off Alma's bench, scoring 15 of his team-high 21 points in the first half, which included five total three-pointers. Alma also received contributions from Donovan Collins, who added seven points and two steals, and Logan St. Martin, who battled on the boards with seven rebounds. Defensively, the Scots limited Calvin to just 22.2% shooting from the field and 1 for 15 from beyond the arc in the first half. The Scots effort in the paint and ability to force 12 first half turnovers helped them establish a nine-point half time lead. The Scots would have their season-best single-half three-point field goal percentage of 53.85 (7 for 13) in the first half. 

Unfortunately for Alma, Calvin turned up the defensive intensity after the break. The Knights outscored the Scots 51-20 in the second half, fueled by points in the paint. The Scots would be whistled 15 times in the second half putting the Knights into the bonus with 13:11 remaining. The Knights shot 16 for 19 (84.21%) from the charity stripe in the second half. Alma struggled offensively in the second half shooting just 35% from the field and 11.1% from three-point range. Their free-throw struggles (6 for 18) also played a role in the second half struggles. 

Despite the loss, Alma showed major glimpses of improvement, especially in the first half. The Scots will look to bounce back as they continue conference play. They will host another ranked opponent, #2 Trine University, this Saturday at 3:00 PM. The Scots will be aiming to build on their early-game success and take it into this weekend.