Coupled with Kalamazoo’s 65-46 loss at Hope, Albion (12-1 overall, 4-0 MIAA) seized sole possession of first place in the league standings. The Britons still have a load of work to accomplish this week, visiting Kalamazoo for a 7:30 p.m. game Thursday and Tri-State for a 3 o’clock tilt Saturday.
Alma held a 34-28 lead at halftime, and extended the lead to 48-30 over the first seven minutes of the second half. Michelle Dettling scored seven points to lead the Scots’ second half rally.
In desperation Albion pulled out of the man-to-man defense it prefers and began to trap Alma all over the floor. The Britons’ move paid immediate results, forcing Alma into turnovers on its next two possessions. With its offense out of sync, Alma committed nine turnovers and misfired on eight shots from three-point range in the final 13 minutes of the contest.
Gaining momentum with the defensive pressure Albion chipped away at the deficit. Senior guard Sarah Caskey scored 12 of her team-high 20 points in the second half, with nine of those tallies coming at the free throw line. Caskey connected on a pair of free throws to put the Britons in front, 52-51, with 7:05 left in the game. Caskey finished one assist shy of a triple-double, collecting 10 rebounds and nine assists.
With 20 points, Caskey now has 1,220 points for her career and stands 10 points shy of passing Melissa Washburn as the school’s all-time scoring leader.
Sophomore forward Ruthie Sventickas and senior guard Vanessa Thompson also made significant second half contributions. Sventickas scored eight of her 12 points in the final 20 minutes. Sventickas also grabbed seven rebounds in the second half. Thompson buried a pair of three-point field goals to support Albion’s rally.
Junior guard Jaime Fornetti had a good all-around game for the Britons, posting 10 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
Katey Peacock scored 17 points to lead Alma (5-4 overall, 0-3 MIAA). Erica Philip recorded a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds.
ALBION BRITONS (12-1, 4-0 MIAA) Sarah Caskey 4-11 10-11 20; Ruth Sventickas 5-15 2-6 12; Jaime Fornetti 3-7 3-4 10; Vanessa Thompson 3-7 0-0 9; Blair Meyer 3-7 0-1 6; Liz Marcuz 1-3 0-0 2; Stacey Jenema 1-1 0-0 2; Stacey Jenema 0-1 0-0 0; Emi Guimond 0-1 0-0 0; Kellyn Glynn 0-0 0-2 0; Megan Garvey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-53 15-24 61. ALMA COLLEGE (5-4, 0-3 MIAA) Katey Peacock 7-13 0-0 17; Erica Philp 8-10 0-2 16; Michelle Dettling 3-12 0-0 7; Ashley Matuzak 2-6 2-2 6; Mindy VanDamme 1-5 0-0 3; Rondi Lounds 1-1 0-0 3; Ashley Borcherding 1-5 0-0 3. Totals 23-52 2-4 55. Albion Britons................ 28 33 - 61 Alma College.................. 34 21 - 55 3-point goals-Albion Britons 6-17 (Vanessa Thompson 3-6; Sarah Caskey 2-8; Jaime Fornetti 1-1; Blair Meyer 0-2), Alma College 7-21 (Katey Peacock 3-3; Rondi Lounds 1-1; Michelle Dettling 1-5; Mindy VanDamme 1-5; Ashley Borcherding 1-5; Ashley Matuzak 0-2). Fouled out--Albion Britons-None, Alma College-None. Rebounds-Albion Britons 33 (Sarah Caskey 10), Alma College 29 (Erica Philp 11). Assists-Albion Britons 16 (Sarah Caskey 9), Alma College 12 (Katey Peacock 4; Rondi Lounds 4). Total fouls-Albion Britons 8, Alma College 19.