Calvin’s men’s basketball team fell to third-ranked Trinity College in the NCAA tournament’s Elite Eight, losing 62-69. In doing so, the team made the national quarterfinals of the NCAA III Tournament for the first time since 2005. The Knights’ 25-5 record marked the men’s basketball team’s most wins since 2013.
After losing to Hope College in the semi-finals of the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), the Knights’ bid for the tournament was uncertain. The Knights were able to secure an at-large bid.
In round one, the Knights defeated No. 24 ranked Elmhurst College with a score of 93-78. “We followed that game with our best performance of the year with a win at No. 2 John Carroll,” Head Coach Bill Sall said.
In the second round, the Knights faced their toughest opponent all season: second-ranked John Carroll University. They pulled off the upset 71-66 thanks to 20-point games by sophomore Jalen Overway and senior Marcus Bult.
In the Sweet Sixteen, the Knights traveled to Hartford, Connecticut, to take on fourth-ranked Randolph-Macon College, where the Knights jumped out to a 12-point lead at halftime with a score of 37-25. The Knights held their lead throughout the game, eventually winning with a 72-59 lead by Overway’s team high of 29 points.
The Knights fell in the Elite Eight — the national quarterfinals — to host school Trinity College by a score of 69-62. The Knights fell down seven at halftime, leaving them at 30-23, and were able to cut that deficit in the second half, only losing by seven points. The Knights were led by Owen Varnado’s team-high 21 points and Trevin Winkle’s 12 points off the bench.
Sall believes the combination of tough competition and playing games so close together was a challenge the team had to endure. “I think the travel and mental/physical toll of playing so many big games back to back hurt us in the last game,” Sall told Chimes.
Sall believes the team played its best basketball in the NCAA III Tournament, and that was part of the reason they were able to take down multiple of the top five teams in the nation. “We played our best basketball of the year down the stretch. Jalen Overway was amazing through our run. Marcus Bult had an incredible stretch of games. Uchenna [Egekeze] proved that he was truly one of the best defenders in the country, shutting down so many great guards time and time again,” he said. Egekeze is a two-time MIAA Defensive Player of the Year.
Although the team’s season ended before the championship game, Sall was impressed with the team this season. “I am very proud of their accomplishments on the court. I am more impressed with the character of this team: an amazing group of young men that have a love for their teammates and created a brotherhood that will last well beyond the bouncing of the basketball. This team was a joy to coach!”
Sall was also very proud of the graduating class of seniors on his team. According to Sall, in the last three seasons, they have won over 70 games, won two MIAA conference championships and achieved two national tournament appearances: a Sweet-Sixteen appearance in 2022 and this year’s Elite Eight game.
