SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Backed by double doubles from Ken Thomas and Devin Holmes, the Albion College men's basketball team claimed the Wittenberg Holiday Classic championship, defeating the host Tigers,76-63.

After not scoring on Monday, Holmes exploded for a game-high 16 points while bringing down 10 rebounds. Coming off a career performance, Thomas contributed 14 points and 12 boards for the Britons. 

Albion wins its second straight game, moving to 4-5 overall. 

In an evenly matched first half, the two teams traded blows, capitalizing on turnovers and second chances. With just under a minute remaining in the half, Khy Winston knocked down a three to even the game at 34. Following a Tiger basket at the other end, a Holmes jumper to end the half knotted the contest at 36. 

The game featured eight ties and six lead changes before Albion regained the lead for good. 

With 11:51 to play, the Brits saw themselves clinging to a three point lead before Holmes – a senior – sparked an Albion run. An and-one from Holmes doubled the lead to six. After a stop at the other end, the senior scored another basket, boosting the lead to eight. A trey off the right hand of MJ Barnes gave the Britons an 11-point lead. Barnes finished the night with 10 points. 

Wittenberg had a fight in them, cutting the Albion lead to two with 7:24 to play. Senior Justin McAbee recorded a big putback for a 60-58 advantage. The Briton defense forced a stop before Cortez Garland buried a big-time 3-pointer, pushing the lead to seven. Garland scored 14 in the win.

Four straight points by Thomas inflated Albion's lead to double digits, a lead they would hold for the remainder of the contest. 

The Brits were near-perfect from the foul line, connecting on 15 of 17 chances – including a perfect 6 for 6 from Thomas. 

Averaging 18.1 points per game, Garland now sits third overall in the MIAA.

The Britons return to action on Dec. 29 in Dallas when they face off against Texas A&M-Texarkana. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. EST.