Angola, Ind. - Sometimes, the final score is what matters. After opening the game with a 20-2 run and leading by as many as 20 points in the first half, the No. 21 Alma College men's basketball team weathered a furious rally by the host Trine Thunder in the second half, eventually coming away with a 96-91 overtime victory.
With the win, the Scots improve to 12-4 overall and remain undefeated in the MIAA with a perfect 5-0 mark. The Scots also won at Trine for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign, snapping a five-game losing streak at Trine's Hershey Hall.
Alma never trailed in the contest, but after leading by double-digits for the majority of the game, Trine pulled to within eight points at 71-63 with just over six minutes remaining in regulation. From there, the Thunder outscored Alma by an 18-10 margin in the rest of the half, eventually tying the game with nine seconds remaining off a Will Dixon jumper.
In overtime, the game was tied at 83-83 with 2:51 to go, but the Scots went on a 7-0 run to pull away for good and sealed the game with free throws as the Thunder attempted to close the gap.
Junior Trevor Gernaat (McBain, Mich./Northern Michigan Christian) scored a carer-high 19 points and made all 10 of his free throws to lead Alma, while seniors DJ Beckman (Shelby, Mich./Shelby) and Scott Nikodemski (Rockford, Mich./Rockford) each netted 17. Sophomore Jason Beckman(Shelby, Mich./Shelby) also tallied 14 points as the Scots shot .509 from the floor for the game, including over 50 percent (12-for-23) from behind the three-point line.
Tarvis Malone paced the Thunder with a game-high 28 points, while Jared Holmqvist scored 21, including 13 in the second half as Trine shot over 70 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes of regulation.
The Scots, with victories in 11 of their last 12 games, return to Art Smith Arena on Saturday, Jan. 23, to host the Albion College Britons at 8 p.m. The game is designated as Pink Day, with fundraisers taking place for cancer awareness. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to show their support.
NOTES
• Alma is ranked No. 21 in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, its first ranking in school history.
• The Scots' 12 wins are the most in a season since the 1996-97 campaign.
• The win at Trine snapped a five-game losing streak to the Thunder in Angola and marked the first win in Hershey Hall since the 2009-10 season.
• Two of Alma's three MIAA road wins have been in overtime.
• The Scots have scored 80 or more points in nine straight games, winning eight of those contests. When Alma scores 80 or more points, it is 10-1. In addition, the Scots are 3-0 when scoring 90 or more.
• Alma has won its last 10 straight MIAA regular-season games, dating back to last season.
• The Scots have triumphed in their last five road games and have posted more road win in MIAA play this season (3) than they did a year ago (2).
• Trevor Gernaat's 19 points were a career-high, as were his 10 free throws. Gernaat has scored in double figures in five straight games.
• DJ Beckman moved into ninth place on the Alma College career scoring list, surpassing Jeff Meath (1,198 from 1977-81). Beckman now has 1,201 career points.
QUOTES
Head Coach Sam Hargraves
"That was one of the greatest games I've been a part of. Trine showed just how tough they are mentally, and how tough it is to go in there and win. They shot the ball as well as anyone we've played against. I'm happy with how we responded and kept fighting down the stretch. After losing the lead we didn't quit. We made just enough plays to get it done."