OLIVET, Mich. - Down a starter out with sickness, Albion found a way to grind out another tight MIAA road contest. With Quinton Armstrong out for the game at Olivet College, Devin Holmes & Justin McAbee chipped in to make up for the Briton's leading rebounder's absence. The two combined for nine points and seven rebounds while playing outstanding defense in holding Olivet's explosive frontcourt in check. The 78-69 victory takes Albion to 16-2 (7-0) on the season and a ten-game win streak. 

The game pitted the two top offenses during conference play with Albion averaging over 87PPG and the Olivet Comets averaging over 81PPG in the MIAA. The Upton Center, Olivet's historic gym, proved a difficult place for either offense to get into a rhythm as the first half saw a defensive battle.  

Every time Albion started to pull away, Olivet made a big shot to stay within striking distance. At halftime, Jamezell Davis (27) led the Brits with 12 points, and Caden Ebeling chipped in with seven points and four rebounds. Olivet took their first lead with 10:34 to go on an Eddie Thigpen three-pointer, but Albion kept attacking and found a way to go into halftime with a seven point lead. Davis led the way with nine of his 12 first-half points in the last nine minutes of the first half. 

In the second half, the Britons never let the lead go below four points as Cortez Garland (17), and Davis led the way. After a quiet first half, Garland had 12 points in the second half and went 7-7 from the FT line for his second straight game shooting 100% from the line. 

Chris Martin, Olivet's 2nd leading scorer who entered the game averaging 15PPG and 7 RPG was held to zero points and two rebounds by Justin McAbee and Devin Holmes. Albion's top-rated defense (70PPG) won out in a mid-week MIAA matchup on a night that saw the 2nd and 3rd place teams in the MIAA fall on the road. 

The Britons travel to Grand Rapids on a Saturday for a 3:00 PM tipoff against Calvin University. The first matchup in Kresge Gym resulted in a 93-62 win for the Britons. Calvin is coming off a road loss at Adrian College.

Briton Notes

• Cortez Garland scored 17 points and went 7-7 from the FT line. He is now 20-20 in 2 games.

• Jamezell Davis had 27 points and sits 3rd in the MIAA in scoring at 22.7PPG in league play

• The Britons shot 18-20 from the FT line for their 2nd consecutive game at 90%+ from the FT line.

• Devin Holmes made his first career start and finishes with 2 points and two rebounds in 17 minutes. 

For the latest information on the team, follow @AlbionMBB on Twitter and Instagram. General athletics news can also be found @gobrits on Twitter, AlbionAthletics on Instagram and Albion College Athletics on Facebook.

Joe and Julie Serra have given a $5 million leadership gift to launch a fundraising initiative to make two dreams a reality at Albion College. The first is a newly expanded fitness and student activity facility at the site of the current Dow Recreation and Wellness Center. The second is a new or renovated competition facility for the volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball teams that currently call Kresge Gymnasium home.

The College is continuing to raise funds in support of both projects. To learn more, call 517/629-0446 or email advancement@albion.edu