OLIVET, Mich. -- A strong second-half shooting display from David Sanford and Ryan Roth propelled the Capital University men's basketball team to their first win of the 2022 calendar year on Sunday afternoon. 

In total, Sanford (23) and Roth (20) combined for 43 points in the game, with 33 of them coming in the second half alone. In the second period of play, Roth shot the ball 6-for-6 from the floor and 5-of-5 from beyond the arc to help vault the Purple and White ahead. 

Capital (7-3) was balanced in the scoring department by an 11-point effort from Tyler Schreck on a cool 5-of-8 from the floor. Further balancing matters for Cap were Alex Eyink with nine points and Ryan Suever with eight points. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Across the first half, Capital struggled shooting the ball, compared to Olivet's efforts. In the first 20 minutes, Cap managed just a 35% field goal percentage and a meek 25% from beyond the arc. Olivet shot 50% or greater in both categories to garner control in the game. 

Despite the shooting issues, Capital never fell behind by more than six points in the half and closed the gap to 38-37 by the intermission. Capital even had an opportunity to take the lead at the buzzer as Griffin Doseck's 3-pointer narrowly missed. 

Cap forced nine Olivet turnovers in the first half, lead largely by seven Capital steals. Off those turnovers, the Purple and White converted 13 points to remain within touching distance of the hosts. 
Out of the halftime breather, Olivet (3-8) looked to be the aggressor, extending their lead out to as many as eight points after just 2:50 of time had elapsed. 

Staring their largest deficit of the game head on, David Sanford led the team in starting to connect from beyond the arc, leading Cap back into the game. On the heels of Sanford's hot hand, Alex Eyink tied the game at 50-50 with a pair of free throws. 

Soon after a 3-pointer from Ryan Roth gave Capital their first lead since the 7:05 mark of the first half. The bucket sent Capital on a slew of effective offense as Cap built out an eight point lead of their own with 12:27 left in the game. The run was aided in large part by four points from Sanford, a layup from Griffin Doseck, and a deep 3-ball from Roth to firmly plant their foot in control at the time. 

Olivet then responded by closing the Cap advantage to 65-63, but Ryan Roth once again had other plans. The Purple and White found Roth's hot hand on back-to-back plays in identical spots on the floor to regain the lead at 71-63. Roth nestled himself in the "O" in Olivet – about four feet beyond the arc – on both plays and knocked down his fourth and fifth three's of the game to lead the charge. 

From there, Capital kept their foot down and held the hosts at bay for the remaining 10 minutes of action, even building their lead to as many as 12 points before settling for the 88-80 final score. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
The Purple and White shot a season-high 32 three's, knocking down a season-best 14 of them. Sanford and Roth combined for 12 of those successful tries. Alex Eyink and Ryan Suever each added one 3-pointer as well. 

Capital showed an immense halftime turnaround in the shooting department as the team turned a 35% first half mark into a 56% second half mark. Even more impressive, the team shot just 25% from 3-point range in the first half and a remarkable 62.5% from deep in the second half. 

Capital had a season-high 14 steals in the game, seven in each frame, leading to 24 points. David Sanford led the team with four steals, while Alex Eyink and Dom Moegerle each added three of their own. 

Capital dished out 18 assists in the game, led by six from David Sanford. Tyler Schreck added four helpers, while Moegerle and Ryan Roth added two each as well. 

UP NEXT
Capital will have a crowded week ahead as the team will travel to Wilmington College on Tuesday, January 4th for a 7 p.m. tip. 

The team will then quickly turn around for a Friday evening contest at No. 16 ranked Mount Union. Tip in Alliance is scheduled for 6 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m., but was moved forward to Friday evening by Mount Union.