UOlivet downed at Ohio Northern, 65-51

ADA, Ohio – The University of Olivet men's basketball team lost 65-51 to Ohio Northern University tonight at the ONU Sports Center.

THE BASICS

• Final Score: Ohio Northern 65, Olivet 51
• Location: ONU Sports Center; Ada, Ohio
• Records: Olivet 2-3 overall, Ohio Northern 4-1 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• In the first half, the Polar Bears built a five-point lead, 14-9, at the 12:19 mark. The Comets fought back with a 10-2 run, capped by back-to-back three-pointers by senior Evan Honnen, for 19-16 lead with 8:38 left in the first half. The teams traded baskets until a fast-break layup by junior Nathan Richardon for Olivet's largest lead of the game, 25-20, at the 4:05 mark.
• Ohio Northern answered with five straight points, but Honnen responded with another three-pointer to put the Comets ahead 28-25 with 2:56 remaining until halftime. The Polar Bears scored the final six points of the half to seize a 31-28 advantage at the break.
• Early in the second half, Ohio Northern extended its lead to five points on two occasions. After the second time at 35-30, sophomore Mike Okello made back-to-back layups to cut Olivet's deficit down to a single point. The Polar Bears went back up by four points before a 4-0 Comet run evened the score, 38-38, at the 12:17 mark.
• The teams exchanged baskets to keep the score deadlocked. Ohio Northern then went on a 10-2 spurt to gain a 50-42 advantage with 6:35 remaining in the game. The Comets countered with five straight points – a three-pointer by junior Conner Schipper and layup by Richardson – to close the gap to three points. Olivet did not get any closer for the rest of the game. The Polar Bears finished the game with a 13-2 spurt.

FOR THE COMETS

• For the game, Olivet posted a 40.4 field goal percentage compared to 44.6 percent for Ohio Northern. Both teams made five baskets from behind the arc. The Comets made two more free throws and committed six more turnovers, 19 to 13.
• Richardson scored a team-high 14 points.
• Honnen and freshman Sean Shenker each had nine points and five rebounds.
• Schipper blocked four shots.

COACH'S QUOTE

"Tonight was a great lesson on playing a team that really wants to win and understands what competition at the college level is all about," said Olivet head men's basketball coach Sam Hargraves. "That's hopefully something that we'll take away from this loss."

UP NEXT

• Olivet hosts Heidelberg (Ohio) University on Saturday for its home-opener. Tip-off from the Cutler Event Center is 3 p.m.