Falcons Fall in Close Battle at No. 10 Calvin

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Concordia Wisconsin men's basketball program dropped a close 73-65 contest with the No. 10 Calvin Knights on Friday night, giving a Calvin team that had won its first three games by an average of 16 points all that it could handle en route to its slimmest victory of the season.

Concordia built a 12-7 lead early in the game, but the Knights clawed their way back to a winning advantage shortly thereafter. However, as Calvin sought to put more distance on the scoreboard as the half went on, the Falcons held their own. Concordia went on a 6-0 run to close the first 20 minutes of play, as a jump shot from senior Jackson Freeman (Green Bay, Wis.) in the paint brought the score to 32-29, drawing the Falcons within three.

The Knights opened up the lead to 10 points early in the second half, but Concordia continued their refusal to back down, pulling back within four after a shot from senior Zech Hans (Hartland, Wis.), who finished with 11 points on the evening.

Calvin answered the run from Concordia, building up a 16-point lead halfway through the second half. The two teams would continue to score in bunches for the remainder of the contest, but it was the Falcons that scored the majority of points as the game came to a close, outscoring the Knights 26-22 in the final 10 minutes of play.

Senior Gabe Pruss (North Fond Du Lac, Wis.) led the game in scoring, picking up 18 points for Concordia. Freshman Matt Merlo (Random Lake, Wis.) stood as the Falcons' second-highest scorer and the game's third-highest, registering 15 points while shooting 3-4 from beyond the three-point arc.

The Falcons will return to the hardwood on Saturday, November 25 to take on the 2-0 Hope Flying Dutchmen.