OLIVET, Mich. – The Albion College women's basketball topped the Olivet College Comets 78-63 on Thursday, Feb. 5. Three Britons scored in double-digits as Albion cruises to its ninth victory over a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association foe as they improve to 17-4 (9-3 MIAA) on the season.
Senior Evelyn Wischmeyer paced the Britons producing 20 points to go along with four rebounds and two assists. Freshman Elena Walker shot with precision at Olivet, going 2-2 from deep and 4-4 on free throws all while leading the team in assists with three. Sophomore Amanda Larson wrangled in 13 rebounds marking the fourth time this season she's reached double-digits in the category this season.
The Britons jumped to a five-point lead early in the first quarter. However, the advantage was short-lived as the Comets began knocking down shots from beyond-the-arc. Olivet made five three-pointers to go on a 22-8 run to end the first.
Down twelve points at near the of the second, Evelyn Wischmeyer brought some new life to the Albion offense scoring a nifty lay-up followed up by a deep triple on the ensuing possession. The Britons continued to play hard-nosed basketball, holding the Comets to single digits in the second quarter. The gritty period of play was highlighted by a huge block by Madelyne Standley and an Emily Bernas lay-up down the stretch to give Albion a 36-33 edge at halftime.
Albion opened up the second half shooting efficiently to take their first double-digit lead of the game. The Briton defense stifled the Comets, limiting them to just three points in the first five minutes of the period. The Purple and Gold lead extended to twenty as Rain Hinton and Evelyn Wischmeyer combined for fourteen points near the end of the third.
The Britons kept the Comets at bay in the fourth by hitting their free-throws to maintain their lead. Tough play around the boards, including nineteen offensive rebounds, helped secure a 78-63 win for the Purple and Gold.
Head Coach Doreen Carden spoke of her team's resilience, stating: "I thought we did a good job of weathering the storm early against them," she went on to explain that "they (Olivet) came out shooting great and we did a good job barreling back. Proud of how we started the second half, the first five minutes were big, and (we) got things rolling and continued throughout the game."
Albion College finished the night shooting 29-70 (41.4%) from the field and 15-19 (78.9%) from the charity stripe. The Britons dominated the paint, putting up 46 points compared to Olivet's 10.
Up Next
The Albion College women's basketball will head west as they face MIAA counterpart Kalamazoo. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 8th inside the Anderson Athletic Center.
For the latest information on the team, follow @AlbionWBB on Twitter and Instagram. General athletics news can also be found @gobrits on Twitter, AlbionAthletics on Instagram and Albion College Athletics on Facebook.
Joe and Julie Serra have given a $5 million leadership gift to launch a fundraising initiative to make two dreams a reality at Albion College. The first is a newly expanded fitness and student activity facility at the site of the current Dow Recreation and Wellness Center. The second is a new or renovated competition facility for the volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball teams that currently call Kresge Gymnasium home.
The College is continuing to raise funds in support of both projects. To learn more, call 517/629-0446 or email advancement@albion.edu