Ranked seventh in the latest D3hoops.com Top-25 poll, Albion (12-0, 2-0 MIAA) held off an upset-minded Calvin team 68-65 in front of more than 2,400 fans Saturday afternoon.
Albion led by as many as 13 points in the second half but Calvin (9-4, 1-1 MIAA) refused to fold, closing to within a point at 48-47 with 10:52 remaining as sophomore Josh Meckes capped off a 24-12 scoring run on a fast-break layup.
Albion responded by building a five-point lead at 52-47 on a layup by junior Garrett Gibbons and a pair of free throws from sophomore Lonny Fulse.
Albion then built an eight-point lead at 64-56 on a pair of free throws from sophomore Evan Way with 2:50 left.
Calvin came back to cut the deficit to three on three straight possessions but the Britons held off the Knights with timely free throw shooting, connecting on 12 of 14 at the charity stripe on the game.
Albion’s only misses at the line came with 22 seconds remaining and the Britons holding a 68-65 lead. The missed free throws gave Calvin a chance to tie the score with a three-point shot but the Knights were unable to set up a quality attempt and settled for a 25-foot three at the buzzer by senior Ricky Shilts that was on line but fell short.
Calvin led 15-8 midway through the first half but Albion used a 20-6 run over the final 10 minutes of the half to take a 28-23 halftime lead.
Albion was led in scoring by Gibbons who pumped in 15 points including three triples while senior Michael Thomas had 13 points and five rebounds. Albion senior Travis DePree also had a fine game before fouling out with four minutes left as he tallied 12 points, eight rebounds, three steals and one blocked shot. Junior power forward Brandon Crawford was also strong for the Brits as he collected a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Calvin was led in defeat by Shilts who scored 14 points while juniors Joel Hoekstra and Kyle Trewhella added 11 points apiece.
Calvin entered the game as the national leader in team three-point field goal percentage with a 46.1 percent clip but Albion’s defense put the clamps on the perimeter threat as the Knights were just five of 21 from beyond the arc for a 23.8 percent clip.
Albion also won the battle of the boards, outrebounding Calvin 41-29 and finished the game with a 44.1 percent field goal clip including 48 percent in the second half. Calvin shot just 36.7 percent overall including just 30 percent in the first half.
Albion will travel to Hope next Wednesday while Calvin will host Kalamazoo Wednesday. Both games are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
Newspaper Box Score Albion College vs Calvin College 01/08/05 3:00 at Grand Rapids, MI At Grand Rapids, MI ALBION COLLEGE 68, CALVIN COLLEGE 65 ALBION COLLEGE (12-0, 2-0 MIAA) Garrett Gibbons 6-10 0-0 15; Mike Thomas 4-12 4-6 13; Travis DePree 6-11 0-0 12; Brandon Crawford 5-10 0-0 10; Lonny Fulse 2-8 2-2 6; Evan Way 1-1 4-4 6; Zak Silas 1-3 0-0 2; Mike Bailey 0-3 2-2 2; Will Braaksma 1-1 0-0 2; Rick Palmer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-59 12-14 68. CALVIN COLLEGE (9-4, 1-1 MIAA) Ricky Shilts 4-9 4-4 14; Joel Hoekstra 3-10 4-6 11; Kyle Trewhella 4-8 2-2 11; Josh Meckes 3-10 3-6 9; Kyle Snoeyink 3-4 0-0 7; Dan Aultman 3-8 1-1 7; Brad Sall 1-2 0-0 2; Andy Draayer 1-4 0-0 2; Eric DeVries 0-1 2-2 2; Josh Vriesman 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 22-60 16-21 65. Albion College................ 28 40 - 68 Calvin College................ 23 42 - 65 3-point goals-Albion College 4-12 (Garrett Gibbons 3-6; Mike Thomas 1-2; Lonny Fulse 0-1; Zak Silas 0-2; Travis DePree 0-1), Calvin College 5-21 (Ricky Shilts 2-6; Joel Hoekstra 1-4; Kyle Trewhella 1-4; Kyle Snoeyink 1-1; Andy Draayer 0-2; Josh Vriesman 0-3; Brad Sall 0-1). Fouled out--Albion College-Travis DePree, Calvin College-None. Rebounds-Albion College 41 (Brandon Crawford 11), Calvin College 29 (Josh Meckes 9). Assists-Albion College 12 (Brandon Crawford 3; Lonny Fulse 3), Calvin College 13 (Kyle Trewhella 4). Total fouls-Albion College 16, Calvin College 17. A-2473