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Albion takes Calvin homecoming game
by Ted Fackler
Assistant Sports Editor
FILE PHOTO
Jr. Chris Prins lines up at the free throw line.
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Before there was Hope, there was Homecoming. An invitation sent out to Albion for an afternoon date at the Fieldhouse, with a company of 3,000 spectators invited. Yet when all was said and done, Albion was the team popping the bubbly, with the date deteriorated into a one-sided festival of inebriation, Calvin coerced into watching Albion drunk on victory.
Welcome to the Homecoming Show, where rival fans sport “Poo on Calvin” T-shirts, where an accordion performance steals halftime, a game where everyone with a heartbeat won awards. Find the man that forgot the dancing monkey!
Continuing in the spirit of last week’s Olivet tromping, Calvin jumped out to an early start scoring the first six points of the game. Rob Dykstra put the first points up with a pretty under the basket layup, hustling back on defense only to steal the ball, passing it off to Joel Hoekstra for another two points. With Albion playing tentative defense, Calvin took advantage of open shots, shooting .500 from the field the first half. Their outside game was complimented nicely by the inside presence of Jeremy Hoekstra, who would be wise to make a permanent house for himself under the basket. What Kevin Broene does for the outside shot, Veenstra does from under the basket. They compliment each other perfectly, Veenstra exhibiting smooth and technical spins under the basket, amassing all 10 of his first half points from the paint. Broene from the outside splashed eight points.
Yet despite Calvin’s prowess under the basket and from the outside, Albion adjusted, lighting a goody bag of aggressive fireworks midway though the first half. Down 13-10, on the playmaking of Brett Quayle and Jeff Burgess, Albion ran away with four consecutive shots resulting in a 9-2 run, and a Calvin deficit of 19-15. A technical foul called on the Calvin bench gave Albion a five point lead before Broene and junior forward Chris Prins combined for eight points, closing the gap to within one. But like a sick case of dणjࣀ vu, Albion drained another consecutive nine points. Having gone 4-12 in the first eight minutes of play, Albion exhibited a 7-11 shooting spree during their run, ending the half with a flailing three pointer and a comfortable 34-29 cushion.
In a later press conference Coach Kevin Vande Streek would describe his teams defense at simply “atrocious!” According to Vande Streek, “We’ve found ways to lose games.” Indeed.
Despite shooting .500 in the first half, it was Calvin’s lack of defense that allowed Albion to conduct their streaks. Add to the complaints an 0-5 showing from beyond the arch and a grotesque amount of important turnovers. Eight total in the first half, which to be fair isn’t an exorbitant amount, except when you figure that Albion scored 17 points off those turnovers! One can only imagine the locker room complaints during halftime. Chances are they revolved around playing a tighter defense and controlling the ball more effectively.
Tying the game early in the second half was guard Jeremy Prins with aggressive play under the basket, drawing a foul and subsequent two shots, tying the game 36-36.
For the remaining seventeen minutes of play, this was the closest the Knights would come. Leading the second half charge was Jeremy Veenstra, assuming control for a team that seemingly threw in the towel in the early minutes, coasting the greater part of the second half with the intensity of a bowl of oatmeal. Crowded with lost mercenaries content on watching others in action, the ball found itself in Veenstra’s grip, and for good reason, as he ended the game shooting 14-23 with a pair of threes.
The last 29 points of the game were scored exclusively by the front of Veenstra, Broene, and Prins. No other Knights under 15 minutes put a point on the board.
Compounding the offensive frustration was a defense allowing uncontested under the basket layups and easy cuts to the hole, resulting in a second half .583 Albion shooting performance. “We’ve found ways to lose games!” Try 17 missed layups, 12 in the second half. Try a .385 second half shooting percentage. Try a lack of competitiveness. Falling flat in the second Homecoming game in as many years were the Calvin Knights, succumbing to Albion 77-69.
Noticeably non-existent during the game were Jeremy Burgin and Josh Berghuis, combining for one point in fifty minutes of play. Falling to 12-9, Calvin traveled to Hope this Wednesday looking to repeat their January 18 victory.
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