By Natalie Hanna · Staff Writer
The college’s men’s basketball team lost 67-61 to Chatham on the road on Saturday, bringing them to an overall record of 5-10 and a 1-4 record in the PAC. Despite the loss, the Wolverines played great defense, allowing only 67 points to a team that usually scores 84.
Junior center Austin Johncour recorded a game-high 10 rebounds, joined by senior forward Mike Christenson and junior forward Caleb Haller’s seven rebounds each. The Wolverines took a 45-37 edge on the glass against Chatham. Christenson also had three steals.
On the offensive front, Christenson shot for 17 points, while senior guard Kyle Randle contributed 16 points. Johncour and junior guard Colton Martin also fired in 10 points each.
The Wolverines led by eight in the second half, but Chatham managed to rally to a 54-54 tie at the five-minute mark. Grove City’s final lead, 56-54, came from Martin’s layup. The Wolverines shot 34% while the Cougars had a shooting percentage of 40%.
“Our main struggle right now is scoring. We had a drought in the second half where we couldn’t get anything to go. If we would have made a few shots during that span, we would have put ourselves in a great position to win,” Christenson said.
Their drought in the second half consisted of missing 12 of their final 13 shots from the field, ultimately contributing to the eventual loss.
The team has not been discouraged by the loss, though, confident that with the incredible defense they have crafted, they can beat any team in the league.
“We have the best defensive and rebounding team in the conference, and the best that I have ever been a part of in my four years. We will be a very dangerous team in the playoffs,” Christenson said. “The two games this week are big, and I’m excited to see what we can do. Thiel is always a tough game, and St. Vincent is loaded with talent.”
After hosting Thiel at home last Wednesday, the Wolverines go on to play another PAC rival, St. Vincent, in Latrobe, Pa. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. Make sure to come out and support the Wolverines as they face many more PAC rivals over the next couple of weeks!
