ANGOLA, Ind. – In a battle between two top-10 teams in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, the #10 Calvin University Knights were able to defeat the #7 Trine University men's basketball team on Saturday afternoon in overtime 73-66. The teams will share the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship title, but the Thunder will host the MIAA Tournament by virtue of winning the tiebreaker between the schools. Both teams conclude the regular season with identical records of 22-3 and 14-2 inside the conference.
Trine's interior defense made shots difficult for the Knights throughout the game, with Emmanuel Megnanglo tying the school record with seven blocks in the game and setting a new career high. Cortez Garland led all scorers with 22 points and Brent Cox secured 11 rebounds. Fred Garland was credited with four of the team's eight assists.
Calvin held a slight advantage in rebounds 46-38, but Trine was able to force 14 turnovers and scored 10 points off Knight miscues. Both teams struggled from deep as the Thunder made four three's and the Knights three on 18 attempts each. Calvin was 27-for-60 (45.0%) from the field and Trine 26-for-67 (38.8%).
It was a back-and-forth affair all game long, but the Knights threw the first punch to lead 9-4. Cortez Garland responded with a three-point make, but once again Calvin went up 18-13 around the halfway point in the first half.
The defense would settle in and make every try difficult from the ten-minute mark down to just over five minutes remaining in the first. Scores for both sides made the score 26-21 in favor of the visitors as Head Coach Brooks Miller called for time with 3:34 to play in the period. Cox, Cortez Garland and Nate Tucker would spark a 10-4 run to close the frame to give Trine a 31-30 edge going into the locker room.
Megnanglo was able to bury a shot from long range to put Trine in front 40-38 early in the second half and a second three by Aidan Smylie helped pushed the lead up to 45-40. A massive two-handed slam by Megnanglo sent the capacity crowd into a frenzy to make the score 48-44 with 12:30 to go, but Calvin would answer with consecutive makes from three to go back in front.
The teams traded baskets as the teams got into sweaty palms time in the second half, but the Knights would take a two-possession lead at 58-54 with 2:45 on the clock. Fred Garland would be true on back-to-back jump shots, one coming from a block on the defensive end by Megnanglo to save two points to draw even at 58 all with 1:03 remaining.
After a layup by the visitors, Cortez Garland calmly made two free throws to tie the game at 60-60 with Calvin in control of the final possession. They would try a three but miss out and sent the game to overtime. The Knights would go on a 9-1 run to begin the extra period and that would be enough to keep the Thunder down. Cortez Garland made a three-point field goal and Fred Garland a layup, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit they faced in a 73-66 loss.
The defeat at home is the first since January 21, 2023 and the first of the 2023-24 season (12-1). The team will get to continue to play inside the MTI Center next week beginning on Friday, February 23 for MIAA Tournament Semifinal action. The opponent for Trine is to be determined by the First Round games on Tuesday, February 20. More information will be available at www.trinethunder.com next week.