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Men's Basketball

ALMA MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM IS DEFEATED BY CALVIN

Head Coach Terry Smith, took his 2008-09 Alma Men’s basketball team on the road on Saturday, hoping for an MIAA victory but was denied when Calvin College defeated the Scots by a score of 73-47 at Van Noord Arena in Grand Rapids. The game, in front of 2,234 people in attendance, dropped  Alma to 0-2 in league play and 2-10 overall. Calvin improved to 2-0 in the MIAA and 7-5 on the 2008-09 campaign.

Calvin jumped out of the box with an 8-0 first half lead, but Alma was able to cut the deficit to 10-6 with 13:39 remaining in the half. The Knights proceeded to go on a 11-2 run to make the score 21-8 with 8:06 left in the initial frame. The Scots fought back hard and saw a 9-0 run cut the lead to 21-17 when G Jordan Redditt (So., Brighton, MI/Jesuit) completed a three-point play at the 5:25 mark.

However, Calvin withstood the furious Scots rush and finished the half strong, taking a 32-22 lead into the lockerroom. Neither team shot particularly well in the first half, with Alma shooting 32% and the Knights coming in at 31%. Calvin hit the only two three-pointers in the first half.

Alma came out hard in the final frame and cut the deficit to six points, 35-29, 4:30 into the half, and after the teams traded some baskets, Calvin led 41-34 with 12:10 left in the game. However, six minutes later, Alma found themselves down 61-39, as the Knights went on a determined 20-5 run. After the Scots scored the next five points, Calvin was able to finish the game with a 12-3 run over the last 5:30 and secure the MIAA victory.

The Scots were led in scoring by Redditt, who finished with 11 points, and G Cory Schneider (Fr., Carson City, MI/Carson City), who had ten points on the afternoon. Redditt also led Alma with six rebounds, but as a team, the Knights had a very decisive 50-30 advantage.

Alma continues league play on Wednesday evening, when they host Trine University at Cappaert Gymnasium in Alma. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.

Box Score

 

The Alma College Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team claimed its ninth consecutive regional championship at the SIFE USA Regional Competition in March 2009. The competition awards the SIFE teams that are most effective in teaching the principals of market economics through outreach projects in their communities.

 

Coach Profile

Terry Smith

Terry Smith

Smith graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Physical Education in 1984. After graduating, Smith got his start in coaching when he was the boy’s basketball coach at Fulton High School while working as a teacher at Ithaca High School. From there he moved to Cedar Springs High School were he coached and taught and won his first district championship in 1987.

The following year, Coach Smith got his first taste of coaching in the college ranks when he was an assistant men’s basketball coach at Ferris State University and was part of the team that won a GLIAC Championship and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA DII Tournament.

After a year at FSU, Coach Smith left for Lake Superior State University where he served for three years as an assistant coach before being promoted to the head coach position in 1991. In five years time, Coach Smith had turned around the LSSU program. In 1996 his team won the first League Championship for LSSU since joining the GLIAC in 1978. During this time, Coach Smith also earned his M.A. in Physical Education from Central Michigan University.