With Alma packing its defense into a tight 2-3 zone to slow up Calvin’s inside game, the Knights were treated to wide-open looks from the perimeter. Calvin cashed in on the opportunities, connecting a season-high 12 three-point field goals while shooting 54.5 percent from three-point range. The Knights were particularly lethal in the second half from long-range, hitting 7 of 11 from downtown for a 63.6 percent clip.
Calvin’s three-point attack in the second half helped break open a relatively tight game as the Knights led at halftime by just an eight-point margin at 34-26. Calvin hit on six three-pointers in the opening seven minutes of the second half however, helping the Knights build a 60-35 lead.
Alma never got closer than 24 points the rest of the way as the Knights were able to cruise to the comfortable win.
Sophomore forward Marcia Harris was one of four Calvin players to notch double-digits in scoring with 15 points. She also collected three steals, two assists and two blocked shots. Freshman Allison Griswold was next with a career-high 12 points off the bench as she was 4 for 7 from beyond the three-point arc. Sophomore Kelly Trewhella also had three trifectas and finished with 11 points while junior Nikki Zimmerman had 10 points and a pair of treys. Junior Lindsey Peuler also had two triples while sophomore Kristi Brummel had one.
Facing constant double and even triple team defense inside, Calvin senior center Lisa Winkle (South Christian HS) still had a strong game with a game-high 11 rebounds and a game-high six assists. Zimmerman also had five assists while Brummel had four.
Calvin finished the game with a season-high 26 assists.
Alma (3-4 overall, 0-2 MIAA) was led in defeat by junior Ashley Matuzak who scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds. The Scots shot just 37 percent overall and committed 27 turnovers.
Calvin will now break until December 28 when it faces host Cal-Lutheran in a two-day tournament in Thousand Oaks, California. The Knights will then face the University of Puget Sound on December 29 on Cal-Lutheran’s floor.
Newspaper Box Score Alma College vs Calvin College 12/16/06 3:00 pm at Grand Rapids, MI at Calvin Fieldhouse At Grand Rapids, MI at Calvin Fieldhouse CALVIN COLLEGE 75, ALMA COLLEGE 50 ALMA COLLEGE (3-4, 0-2 MIAA) Ashley Matuzak 4-10 3-4 12; Megan Hoblet 4-10 1-1 9; Abigail Way 2-3 3-5 7; Emily Niemi 2-5 2-2 6; Courtney Lusk 1-5 4-4 6; Ashley Wojtas 2-2 0-0 4; Kathryn Bigelow 1-2 0-0 3; Heather Keenan 1-4 1-1 3; Houston Verbeck 0-2 0-0 0; Lauren Hasler 0-0 0-0 0; Terra Teague 0-3 0-1 0. Totals 17-46 14-18 50. CALVIN COLLEGE (6-1, 2-0 MIAA) Marcia Harris 7-11 1-1 15; Allison Griswold 4-7 0-0 12; Kelly Trewhella 4-7 0-0 11; Nikki Zimmerman 4-8 0-0 10; Lindsey Peuler 2-3 0-0 6; Brook VanEck 3-4 0-0 6; Lisa Winkle 1-6 2-2 4; Sarah Partridge 2-5 0-0 4; Rachael Willett 1-5 2-2 4; Kristi Brummel 1-2 0-0 3; Kelly Bennett 0-1 0-0 0; Marissa Walker 0-0 0-0 0; Wendy Zigterman 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-60 5-5 75. Alma College.................. 26 24 - 50 Calvin College................ 34 41 - 75 3-point goals-Alma College 2-9 (Ashley Matuzak 1-4; Kathryn Bigelow 1-1; Courtney Lusk 0-1; Houston Verbeck 0-2; Megan Hoblet 0-1), Calvin College 12-22 (Allison Griswold 4-7; Kelly Trewhella 3-5; Lindsey Peuler 2-2; Nikki Zimmerman 2-3; Kristi Brummel 1-2; Rachael Willett 0-1; Sarah Partridge 0-2). Fouled out--Alma College-None, Calvin College-None. Rebounds-Alma College 27 (Ashley Matuzak 5), Calvin College 33 (Lisa Winkle 11). Assists-Alma College 11 (Kathryn Bigelow 3), Calvin College 26 (Lisa Winkle 6). Total fouls-Alma College 9, Calvin College 14. A-127