NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- The Albion College men's basketball used a dominant second half and an impressive paint presence to power past, Thiel College, 66–56, on Saturday afternoon.

The Britons (4–0) trailed 31–27 at the break after an inconsistent first half, but came out of the locker room with a renewed defensive intensity. Albion opened the second half on a 7–0 run, sparked by a Michael Umeh layup, a Kam Mayes three, and a BJ Hunter jumper to flip a four-point hole into a 34–31 advantage. 

From there Albion's defense forced turnovers and the offense steadily broke the game open. The Brits used a 17-4 run later in the half to push their lead to double-digits and comfortably close out the win. Thiel hung within single digits late, but Albion's 9-for-11 effort at the line closed the door on any comeback attempt, as Albion's pressure limited the Tomcats to just 5-for-26 shooting over the final 20 minutes. 

Umeh was the story from start to finish, posting 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting to go with nine rebounds, consistently carving out space around the rim. Mayes added 13 points and seven boards, and the Britons' interior presence proved to be the difference as Albion out-rebounded the Tomcats 45–30 and generated 40 points in the paint.

 Kurtis Rhodes provided a key lift off the bench with 11 points, including a pair of timely second-half buckets that kept the Britons in control.

Up Next
Albion returns home to host the Coach Mike Turner College Classic inside of Kresge Gymnasium, beginning on Friday, November 21. The Britons take the court against Kenyon College at 7 pm.