By Mark DeHaan
ALMA - Calvin traveled to Alma Wednesday night for its second conference match of the young season to face the Scots. Calvin, ranked third in the nation in the latest DIII polls, struggled in the opening minutes, but then a seven minute stretch midway through the first half saw the Knights build a sizable advantage and never look back. Calvin was able to use its depth throughout the game, earning a 97-56 win to move to 2-0 in conference.
The game got off to a slow start as the two teams shot a combined 3-of-13 to open the game, with the score 4-2 in Calvin's favor four minutes in. Alma then tied the game on a pair of free throws before on offensive explosion over the next seven minutes saw the Knights build a 30-6 lead. Calvin shot 10-of-14 during the 26-2 run, 12 points coming from senior Carissa Verkaik.
The Knights continued to extend their lead through the first half, taking a 46-16 advantage into the break. Verkaik led Calvin with 19 points and seven boards in the first half. Senior Ally Wolffis added seven points while senior Kelsey Irwin chipped in six on a pair of three-point shots.
The Knights continued their strong play out of the break, building their largest lead of the game at 68-24 with 12:43 remaining in the game on a trio of free throws by Irwin.
The Calvin starters played minimally in the second half as all of its bench players received significant playing time. The Knights closed out the game on a 6-0 run to earn the 97-56 victory.
Carissa Verkaik led the Knights in victory one rebound short of a double-double with 25 points and nine rebounds. The performance marked the 91st double-digit scoring performance of her collegiate career. Irwin and sophomore Maria De Kuiper each added 12 points, a career high for the sophomore, while Wolffis chipped in nine points and five rebounds. Kassidi Adams and Raeanna Zink each scored 13 points to lead the Scots.
"I thought our defense did a great job. We got a lot of steals, we really stuck to our principles, and that was the key," said head coach John Ross. "Alma scored 40 points in the second half. They have a lot of firepower and we knew that they did and they shoot the three very well, but we did an excellent job defensively and that turned into some easy points. We did a nice job of getting the ball to Carissa early on and she did a good job."
Calvin is now 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA. The Knights now have an extended break before their conference home opener on Saturday, December 15 against the Belles of Saint Mary's. The game is scheduled to tipoff at 3 p.m. in the afternoon.