Men’s basketball team loses to Albion, 78-69

OLIVET, Mich. – The Olivet College men's basketball team ended the first half of its Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) schedule with a 78-69 loss to Albion College this evening at the Upton Center Gymnasium.

Final Score: Albion 78, Olivet 69
Location: Upton Center Gymnasium; Olivet, Michigan
Records: Albion 16-2 overall, 7-0 MIAA; Olivet 4-14 overall, 1-6 MIAA

• The Britons built a five-point lead on three occasions early in the first half. After the last time at 13-8, freshman Noah Wiswary and junior Colin Carter drained back-to-back three-pointers to put the Comets ahead for the first time in the game. Albion re-gained the lead before a triple by junior Eddie Thigpen gave Olivet a 17-15 lead with 10:34 left until halftime.
• From there, the Britons went on a 10-2 run to take a six-point lead. The Comets fought back and cut their deficit to two points twice at 25-23 and 30-28. Albion then closed the half on an 8-3 run for a 38-31 advantage at halftime.
• The Britons extended their lead to 11 points, 44-33, at the 16:27 mark of the second half. Olivet chipped away at the Albion lead and trailed by only four points, 50-46, after freshman Britton Angell canned a three-pointer with 10:35 remaining in the game. The Britons stretched their lead to 13 points, 66-53. The Comets scored the next six points to make the score 66-59 but would not get any closer for the rest of the game.
• For the game, both teams made 26 total baskets. Olivet made one more basket from behind the arc. The difference in the game was the Britons drained 18-of-20 free throws compared to 8-of-10 for the Comets.

• Thigpen scored a team-high 22 points.
• Angell and Wiswary contributed 11 points apiece.
• Angell grabbed a team-best six rebounds.

• Jamezell Davis Jr. led all scorers with 27 points.
• Cortez Garland netted 17 points.
• Caden Ebling had 13 points and game-high eight rebounds.

• Olivet hosts Hope College Saturday afternoon at 5:30 p.m.