Albion (13-10 overall, 8-7 MIAA) will have to win its regular season finale at Adrian College Saturday afternoon to gain the No. 4 seed and homecourt advantage for the first round of the MIAA Tournament.
Neither team led by more than five points and the score was tied 16 times during regulation play. Albion took a 35-31 lead at halftime as Amy Aemisegger buried a 3-point goal before the buzzer. The Britons rallied from a 57-52 deficit with 5 ½ minutes remaining in the second half as Emi Guimond and Autumn Charnley scored layups and Katie Elder hit the second of a two-shot free throw opportunity.
Elder led Albion with 14 points and nine rebounds. Babcock and Megan Garvey finished with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
SAINT MARY'S 71, ALBION 63 ALBION (13-10, 8-7 MIAA) Katie Elder 5-8 4-6 14; Jessica Babcock 6-11 0-0 13; Megan Garvey 5-21 0-0 10; Autumn Charnley 4-8 0-1 8; Emi Guimond 4-7 0-0 8; Brittany Kemperman 2-3 0-0 5; Amy Aemisegger 1-1 0-0 3; Stephanie Klumpp 1-3 0-0 2; Chelsea Gray 0-0 0-0 0; Kati Till 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-63 4-7 63. SAINT MARY'S (11-11, 10-6 MIAA) Alison Kessler 6-20 8-10 23; Bridget Lipke 7-19 3-4 18; Erin Newsom 5-10 2-2 13; Nicole Beier 5-9 0-1 10; Anna Kammrath 3-6 1-2 7; Mary Lynn Carlson 0-1 0-0 0; Patty Duffy 0-1 0-0 0; Maria Canfield 0-0 0-0 0; Katie Rashid 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 26-69 14-19 71. Albion........................ 35 24 4 - 63 Saint Mary's.................. 31 28 12 - 71 3-point goals-Albion 3-12 (Jessica Babcock 1-3; Brittany Kemperman 1-2; Amy Aemisegger 1-1; Autumn Charnley 0-1; Megan Garvey 0-5), Saint Mary's 5-19 (Alison Kessler 3-12; Erin Newsom 1-1; Bridget Lipke 1-2; Patty Duffy 0-1; Katie Rashid 0-1; Nicole Beier 0-2). Fouled out--Albion-None, Saint Mary's-None. Rebounds-Albion 45 (Katie Elder 9), Saint Mary's 38 (Erin Newsom 15). Assists-Albion 19 (Megan Garvey 7), Saint Mary's 14 (Alison Kessler 8). Total fouls-Albion 17, Saint Mary's 12. A-147