By Mark DeHaan
KALAMAZOO - Calvin continued its undefeated MIAA season Wednesday night when it traveled to Kalamazoo to face the Hornets. The Knights received good minutes and strong play from its bench as they defeated the Hornets 92-35 at the Anderson Athletic Center.
The Calvin offense started off a bit slow as the Knights led just 6-2 five minutes into the contest. A three-point shot from sophomore Kayla Engelhard then put the Knights up 9-2 and jump-started their offense as they proceeded to build a 21-4 advantage with 11:01 remaining in the first half. Calvin's offense sizzled throughout the remainder of the first half, shooting 66% from the field, including 5-for-7 from three-point range, as it took a 49-13 lead into the break.
Senior Carissa Verkaik led all scorers with 12 points at intermission, while junior Kirstin Tripp and sophomore Hannah Acre added seven apiece.
In the second half, the Knights continued to roll as they received effective minutes from their bench. Calvin's largest lead came with just over nine minutes left in the contest on an Acre jump-shot that put the Knights up 78-17. Calvin coasted the remainder of the way, seeing significant minutes from its bench as it earned its 11th MIAA victory and 17th straight win, 92-35 over the Hornets.
Verkaik finished the game with 19 points, five rebounds and five blocks. Acre added a career high 13 points and nine rebounds while Marsh tallied 12 points on four three-pointers. Calvin finished the game shooting 56% from the field. The Knights bench outscored the Kalamazoo bench 47-19.
"It was important to play well and get a big lead because we're nursing some injuries right now," said head coach John Ross. "I think we came out and played with a lot of energy early on. Logan Marsh played really well, hitting four threes; it was good to see her going. It was great to see a lot of our young players come in and play really well as well, because that is the future of the program."
Calvin is now 11-0 in conference play and 18-1 overall, while Kalamazoo drops to 2-18 overall and 1-11 in the MIAA. The Knights now look forward to Saturday when they will play in the first game of a basketball doubleheader at Van Noord Arena.
The women are scheduled to play Trine at 1 p.m., while the men will face Kalamazoo at 3 p.m.