Calvin’s men’s basketball’s impressive five-game win streak came to a disappointing end Friday night, Feb. 27, as they fell to Hope College 63-73. Still, the season wasn’t without stories to celebrate.
The team opened its season with a narrow loss against Denison University, but quickly bounced back with a six-game win streak going into winter break. The team ended their non-conference play with an 8-3 record. Once the team shifted into conference play, they came out strong with a 4-0 record, but dropped some close games after. The Knights regained their footing after this stretch, ending conference play with a 10-4 record. The regular season concluded with a satisfying win over rival Hope College in the highest scoring matchup between the teams in 37 years. Sitting at 18-7 before playoffs, Calvin hoped to learn from their past mistakes, including four of their seven losses that were within five points.
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) tournament was a brief roller coaster for the Knights that unfortunately ended on a low note. Tuesday night, Feb. 24, against Adrian College, Calvin couldn’t seem to miss, as they shot a remarkable 71 percent from the floor in the first half. They ended up routing Adrian 105-63, their highest scoring output of the season. Then Friday, Feb. 27, against Hope, the Knights couldn’t find a rhythm on offense — there was a “lid on the rim,” according to head coach Bill Sall. Sall also mentioned that while he’s disappointed in the way it all ended, particularly for his seniors, he’s ultimately proud of the way his team fought this season.
One can’t mention Calvin basketball this season without talking about redshirt junior forward Jalen Overway. The All-American was just named MIAA’s most valuable player after averaging 23.5 points on 64.5 percent shooting in league play. Both of these are personal career highs and led the conference. This is particularly impressive considering Overway missed the entire previous season due to injuries.
Graduate transfer Zion Ruckard talked about the preparation for this season, noting the importance of having Overway back. He explained that it took some time for the offense to reorient itself: “[Preparing for] this year without having Jalen [Overway] the previous year [took an] adjustment, [since an] all-American was returning. Your offense now changes back to throwing the ball [to Overway] in the post and playing off of him.”
Ruckard was another important addition during the offseason. He started his collegiate career at junior college Western Wyoming Community College, located in Rock Springs, Wyoming. After two seasons, he transferred to St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, New York, where he competed at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 2 level. After completing his bachelor’s degree, Ruckard transferred to Calvin, where he had hopes of playing basketball and earning a master’s degree. He brings a combination of experience, energy and joy to the team. Ruckard looks at his opportunity to play basketball as a gift, saying, “[The team tries to] enjoy every moment and embrace the tough times and the good times.”
The month of February showed significant improvement for the Knights, as they learned from past mistakes and had a 5-1 record in the month, only losing a two-point game against the top seed, The University of Olivet. Additionally, they were able to secure an important home win against Hope College during this time. The Knights brought this motivation to the postseason, with an opening-round win over Adrian College, 105-63.
Ending the regular season with a win over Hope in front of a packed Van Noord Arena was arguably the highlight of the season. MIAA-second team senior Trevin Winkle described the regular season home matchup, saying the game is “one of the reasons that you come to Calvin to play basketball.”
Senior Luka Ressler said that the home win was his favorite moment of the season, describing it as “a high-scoring game [that] remained back and forth the entire time.” Multiple team members noted the “Hope Hangover,” where past teams have become so excited about the rivalry win that it becomes a distraction moving forward. Ruckard explained that the team needed to stay motivated this season. When asked about the significance of the dominant playoff win and moving forward with their heads held high, he explained they “wanted to ride the wave of playing our best basketball.”
While the season didn’t end the way they hoped, there was no shortage of wins to celebrate along the way. Ruckard said, “Basketball’s not guaranteed. There are plenty of people out there who wish they could be in our position. So [I’m] just enjoying every moment and embracing it, embracing the tough times, the good times and everything in between.”
