The Aquinas men's basketball team put together arguably its best effort of the season on Friday night (Nov. 29) at the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame Classic, rolling past Calvin by a 84-60 score. AQ shot nearly 53 percent from the field, owned a 46-26 rebounding advantage, and outscored the Knights 38-17 over the first 20 minutes.
 
It was the opening game of this year's Hall of Fame Classic – being hosted this year at Cornerstone – as the host Golden Eagles face Hope in the nightcap. On Saturday (Nov. 30), Aquinas will take on Hope at 6:00 p.m. before Cornerstone and Calvin square off to conclude the tournament.
 
With the win, AQ improves to 2-8, while Calvin dips to 1-3 on the year. The Saints shot better than 50 percent in both halves and took a 21-point lead to halftime. 13 Aquinas players saw action on Friday night, including 11 Saints scoring and 10 players logging at least 10 minutes.
 
The Saints were led on Friday night by Jesse Hillis and his team-high 16 points in just 20 minutes. Hillis went 5-of-9 from the field, made 3-of-4 triple tries, and all three free throw attempts. Davion Benton put up a double-double in only 21 minutes, notching 15 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists. He went 5-of-11 from the floor and 5-of-5 at the line.
 
Deric Murray shot 5-of-9 from the floor and recorded 11 points, while Andrew Myers added nine points on 4-for-6 shooting and handed out three assists. DeShawn Lewis posted seven points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Justin Lary added seven points. Myles Patten and Gabe Overway totaled eight rebounds and six points apiece. 
 
AQ led in nearly every statistical category, including a large 46-16 advantage in points in the paint and a 46-9 cushion in bench points. In the first half, the Saints' reserves outscored Calvin's subs by a 29-0 edge. Aquinas was on top in points off turnovers (17-10), second chance points (12-4), and fast break points (10-4).
 
While Aquinas shot 52.5 percent from the field, the Saints limited Calvin to a 33.3 percent clip. AQ went 7-of-12 from three-point range and 13-of-15 from the line, while the Knights were 7-of-23 from long range and 17-of-24 at the charity stripe. 
 
The Saints took a 6-5 lead on a Benton three-point play less than five minutes into the game and would lead the rest of the ballgame. AQ put up a 10-0 run with a Myers layup, a Beau LePage three-pointer, a dunk by Murray, and a triple by Myers to make it a 22-10 lead with 8:53 remaining in the half. 
 
In the final minute, Benton and Murray both scored on layups to give Aquinas a 38-17 lead going into the intermission. Calvin would get no closer than 12 points in the second half, with the Saints' cushion reaching a game-high 26 points in the final minute on a layup by Malik Jones.

After Saturday's game against Hope, AQ gets back into WHAC play next Wednesday (Dec. 4) at 8:00 p.m. at Siena Heights.