Grand Rapids, Mich. – Men's Basketball returned to the Mol Arena for a game against Defiance College and for Coach Kim Elders' 800th win in his coaching career!. The first half was tough for either team as neither broke 40% from beyond the arch. The first half ended with Cornerstone on top 40-37. The second half was a different story as Cornerstone came out with a new fire. The second half saw six three-pointers land as the Golden Eagles took the win 89-68. The Golden Eagles will continue their season after Thanksgiving with a tough road game against #RV Madonna University in Livonia, Mich. on December 3rd at 7:30 p.m.

Game Highlights – Cornerstone – 89 Defiance College – 68

• First Half

  • Levi Schultz got the game going with an opening layup to put Cornerstone up 2-0.

  • The Yellow Jackets held the lead by six points 12-6 in the first half, as Cornerstone struggled to get much going.

  • A good layup by Myles Steffen got Cornerstone back on top 23-21 with just about seven and a half minutes left to play in the half.

  • Blake Stewart made his way through three defenders to make the much-needed layup, as Cornerstone extended their lead 29-22.

  • The successful three by Andy Mora kept the offense alive for Cornerstone as they still led 32-24 in the first half of play.

  • The Yellow Jackets were not done, as they cut Cornerstone's lead to just one point 36-35 with just under two minutes left in the half.

  • Cornerstone were able to hold the lead going into the second half 40-37.

• Second Half

  • The second half began with a Kayden Bird three-pointer to keep it going for Cornerstone 43-37.

  • Blake Stewart earned the and-one with a good layup and headed to the free-throw line where he was unable to convert the three-point play. The Golden Eagles still maintained the lead 51-40.

  • A big stop by the Cornerstone defense helped Blake Stewart get wide open for a free layup. The Golden Eagles still held the game in their palm 53-42.

  • Trenton Boike got a three of his own to keep Cornerstone up by 13. The score was 57-44 in Cornerstone's favor.

  • Two three pointers in-a-row by Kayden Bird kept Cornerstone ahead 66-48 with just under 11 minutes left to play.

  • The twenty point lead was grabbed thanks to two successful free-throws by Kayden Bird with nine minutes left to go. Cornerstone was up 70-50.

  • Joel Nichols got the downtown pass for an easy layup to make it 80-58.

  • A pass through traffic by Tre Seydel set up Joel Nichols for another layup, as Cornerstone held a 21-point lead 84-23 with under three minutes to go.

  • Myles Everingham saw his way to the court and immediately made a long three-pointer to inch Cornerstone closer to the win.

  • Collin Czarnecki sealed the deal for Cornerstone with two good free-throws to complete the 800th win for Coach Kim Elders 89-68.

By the Numbers 

23/50% – Kayden Bird put up 23 points in the contest against the Yellow Jackets, going 4-8 from beyond the arch.

20/76.9% – 20 points fell for Blake Stewart as he shot 76.9% from the field.

8/7 – Mark DeVries grabbed eight rebounds on the night with seven total points. 

800 – Coach Kim Elders hit the 800 wins mark with the defeat of the Yellow Jackets in his 33rd season at the helm of this Men's Basketball program.

What's Next? 

The Golden Eagles look ahead to their first WHAC matchup of the year next week. They will host Siena Heights University at 7:30 p.m. inside of the Mol Arena on Wednesday, November 15th.

Men's Basketball Contact: Mason Young

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