News Release

ALBION, Mich. — If the Albion College men’s basketball team is to have a successful 2005-2006 season it is going to need a perimeter game to support senior center Brandon Crawford. Crawford scored a career-high 38 points and matched the fourth-highest single game total in school history, but the Britons connected on 4-of-16 shots from three-point range in an 88-77 loss to the University of Michigan-Dearborn on the opening night of the College Basketball Classic presented by the Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce.

Albion will square off against DePauw University of Greencastle, Ind., in Saturday’s 2 p.m. consolation game. Ohio Northern University, a 74-66 victor over DePauw, will meet Michigan-Dearborn in the championship game set for 4 p.m.

Crawford scored Albion’s first two baskets to give the Britons early 2-0 and 4-3 leads.

The Wolves went on a 12-4 run to claim a lead it would not relinquish. Dearborn’s rally was sparked by three-point baskets by Andrew Kwietniewski and Justin Miller.

Albion hung around for most of the first half, trailing 32-30 when junior center Evan Way scored a basket with three minutes remaining.

Dearborn put the game away when it ended the first half with a 10-2 run to take a 42-32 lead to the locker room at halftime.

Crawford connected on 17-of-20 shots from the field. He also collected 13 rebounds. Way finished with 12 points, shooting 6-of-8 from the field.

Miller led Dearborn with 25 points. Syneca Puryear contributed 18 points and nine rebounds. Kwietniewski and L.T. Willis added 17 and 14 points, respectively.

MICHIGAN-DEARBORN (2-4)
Justin Miller 9-18 1-2 25; Syneca Puryear 7-10 4-6 18; Andrew Kwietniewski
6-10 3-3 17; L.T. Willis 5-8 4-5 14; Chris Shepard 1-5 2-2 5; Danny Kimmel
2-2 0-0 5; Brandon Franklin 2-2 0-0 4; Scott Rutter 0-1 0-0 0; Juan Rickman
0-1 0-0 0. Totals 32-57 14-18 88.
ALBION COLLEGE (0-1)
Brandon Crawford 17-20 4-9 38; Evan Way 6-8 0-0 12; Mike Bailey 2-8 1-2 7;
Drew Yancey 2-7 2-2 6; Garrett Gibbons 2-8 0-0 5; Rick Palmer 1-6 2-2 4; Jim
Cash 1-1 0-0 3; Zak Silas 1-7 0-1 2; D.J. Mocini 0-1 0-0 0; Lonny Fulse 0-1
0-0 0. Totals 32-67 9-16 77.
Michigan-Dearborn.............   42   46  -   88
Albion College................   32   45  -   77
3-point goals-Michigan-Dearborn 10-17 (Justin Miller 6-11; Andrew
Kwietniewski 2-4; Danny Kimmel 1-1; Chris Shepard 1-1), Albion College 4-16
(Mike Bailey 2-5; Garrett Gibbons 1-4; Jim Cash 1-1; Rick Palmer 0-2; Zak
Silas 0-3; D.J. Mocini 0-1). Fouled out--Michigan-Dearborn-None, Albion
College-None. Rebounds-Michigan-Dearborn 27 (Syneca Puryear 9), Albion
College 37 (Brandon Crawford 13). Assists-Michigan-Dearborn 17 (L.T. Willis
4), Albion College 22 (Zak Silas 7). Total fouls-Michigan-Dearborn 17,
Albion College 15. A-317