KALAMAZOO - The Kalamazoo College men's basketball team lost 82-79 to Olivet College in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play on Wednesday.
Kalamazoo jumped out to an early lead (8-2) and held a 13-11 lead with 12:46 left in the first half. The Comets evened up the score on their next possession as part of an 18-0 run over a span of five minutes that put Olivet on top 27-13 with 8:00 remaining. Olivet extended the lead to 17 points (35-18) before taking a 37-27 lead into halftime.
Olivet scored the first two baskets of the second half to go up by 14, and the Comets led by as many as 15 points twice in the second half, including a 52-37 advantage with 14:13 remaining.
Kalamazoo's offense started clicking, however, as the Hornets went on a 16-2 run over the next four minutes to cut the deficit to one (56-55) with 10:24 left.
Kalamazoo was unable to regain the lead as Olivet scored seven of the next eight points to go up 63-56. The Hornets kept the game within striking distance and again made it a one point game (70-69) with 4:37 left to play. Olivet countered nearly every comeback attempt with an open layup or 3-pointer and never allowed the Hornets to regain the lead.
A pair of free throws put Olivet up by three (82-79) with 12 seconds remaining, and the Hornets' potential game-tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer went off the rim.
Olivet shot 52.6 percent overall, aided by a 57.1 percent effort in the second half. The Comets also sank 16-of-20 free throws. Kalamazoo shot 42.6 percent overall after shooting just 31 percent in the first half. The Hornets made 15-of-24 free throws.
The visiting Comets outrebounded Kalamazoo 40-31, with Kalamazoo holding a slight edge (9-8) on the offensive end.
Adam Peters led Kalamazoo with 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots.
Grant Carey scored 13 points with five rebounds, four assists and a steal. Carter Goetz added 13 points, three assists, two blocked shots and two steals in 23 minutes off the bench.
Josh Whitney scored 11 points with four rebounds and five assists.
Mark Ghafari, Kalamazoo's leading scorer, was out with an injury.
Kalamazoo returns to action with a home game against Trine University on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m.