Kalamazoo falls to Hope in first round

Kalamazoo trailed 33-26 at halftime, but an early second half run gave the Hornets a 43-41 lead with 11:28 left in the game. Hope responded with a 16-3 run and led by 11 points (57-46) with 7:00 left in the game.

The Hornets clawed back and trailed by two (68-66) with 22 seconds on the clock following a Dirk Rhinehart three pointer. Hope connected on one-of-two free throws on the other end leaving the Hornets with one final chance. Kalamazoo could not get an open look as the clock ticked under 10 seconds and the Hornets were forced to throw up a shot that fell short as time expired.

Brad Phillips led the Hornets with 14 points. Freshman Nathan Burns came off the bench to score 11 points while Rhinehart added 10.

Hope held a 43-28 rebounding edge. Kalamazoo shot 43 percent for the game to Hope's 39 percent.

Kalamazoo finishes the season with a record of 10-15.

Game Statistics