Fighting Comets defeat Manchester, 71-63

The Olivet College men's basketball team defeated non-conference foe Manchester College, 71-63, this afternoon at the Stauffer-Wolfe Arena in North Manchester, Indiana. After losing its first four games, Olivet has won six straight games.

After a 15-15 tie at the 10:26 mark, the Fighting Comets closed the first half with a 21-7 run to lead 36-22 at halftime. The 14-point margin was their biggest lead of the opening half.

In the second half, Olivet extended its lead to 16 points at 44-28 with 17:19 remaining when senior guard Matt Brawley (Niles High School) nailed a three-pointer. The Spartans battled back and cut the deficit to just two points at the 7:59 mark.

Sophomore Steve Johnson (Detroit/Murray Wright High School) made his second start of the season and scored a career-high 19 points to lead the Comets. He was followed by Brawley with 14 points and junior Ronnie Pearson (Holly High School) with 11 poiints. Senior Travis Schellhammer (Grand Ledge High School) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and was credited with eight assists and six steals.

The Fighting Comets are now idle until after the New Year when they host non-conference foe Cornerstone University on Saturday, Jan. 3 at the Upton Center at 3 p.m.