By Mitch Blankespoor, Kalamazoo College Sports Information
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Kalamazoo junior forward Adam Peters was held in check for most of the game. The Hickory Corners native had scored just three points in the first 39 minutes, but after a miss from senior guard Mark Ghafari with less than 10 seconds remaining in regulation, Peters collected the offensive rebound and converted a layup while getting fouled. The free throw that followed hit nothing but net as Kalamazoo escaped an upset bid from Adrian College defeated the Bulldogs 65-62 on Senior Day at the Anderson Athletic Center.
"We drew up a play for Mark [Ghafari] and Adrian defended it very well," Kalamazoo Head Coach Eric Dougal said in a post-game interview. "Mark drew the defense which allowed AP [Adam Peters] to crash the glass and put it in."
Senior guard Keaton Adams opened the game with a three-pointer to give the Hornets an early lead.
Adrian responded, however, scoring 12 of the next 15 points en route to a 12-6 lead in with 15:53 to play in the first half.
Kalamazoo would trail by as many as 12 points in the first half, and after a three-pointer from Adrian's Earl Swift, the Hornets found themselves trailing 37-25 at halftime.
"They [Adrian] played very well in the first half," Dougal said. "When you hit shots, you are going to be in good shape. We were giving them some open looks, and Adrian converted them."
Adrian, which came into the game with a 5-17 record overall and 1-10 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play, connected on 8-12 three point field goals in the first half. Rickey Jackson scored 15 of Adrian's 37 points while Adams and junior forward Aaron Schoenfeldt led Kalamazoo with six points each.
Kalamazoo, needing a win to keep its MIAA Tournament hopes alive, trailed by as many as 14 points (42-28) early in the second half. The Hornets began to chip away at the deficit, however, going on an 11-2 run in six minutes capped off by a three-pointer from senior guard Grant Carey to make the score 47-39 with 10:55 to play in regulation.
Minutes later, K trailed 53-47 until freshman guard Adam Dykema checked into the game. The Forest Hills Northern alumnus scored 11 of Kalamazoo's next 13 points with three field goals from beyond the arc. Kalamazoo trailed 61-60 with 2:55 remaining.
"Adam Dykema has ice water running through his veins," said Dougal. "We needed a big shot, and he knew he was the one who needed to take it. He really put Adrian on its heels with his aggressiveness."
Neither team scored until the 0:21 mark when Ben Rodak hit the back end two free throws to extend the Bulldog lead to 62-60.
Enter Adam Peters. Peters converted the aforementioned three-point play to give K a 63-62 lead. After an Adrian turnover, two free throws from sophomore guard Cam Schwartz iced the game.
Three Hornets finished in double figures – Dykema scored 13 points, Carey finished with 11 while Schoenfeldt added 10. Jackson, who scored 15 points in the first half, added just a free throw in the final 20 minutes for his game-high 16 points.
"Our seniors played like seniors are supposed to play," said Dougal. "They made big plays all game. Keaton [Adams] hit two threes in his first shift on the court. Mark [Ghafari] did a lot of great things for us. Grant [Carey] shot a high percentage and gave us a ton of hustle plays."
Kalamazoo shot 44.7 percent (21-47) for the game while Adrian shot 42.3 percent (22-52). The Hornets made 7-19 three-pointers compared to 10-24 for the Bulldogs.
With the win, Kalamazoo snaps a four-game skid and improves to 10-13 on the season and 5-7 in the MIAA. The Hornets are two games behind fourth place Albion which sits at 7-5 in the conference.
Kalamazoo's last two regular season games are Feb. 19 vs. Hope and Feb. 22 at Alma.