By Steve Marowski, '18
In a hard fought game against eighth-ranked Hope College, the Britons matched the Flying Dutchmen shot for shot for nearly the entire game. However, Alex Eidson and Sam Otto dialed up for 3-point baskets in the final five minutes to lift the Flying Dutchmen to a 74-66 victory.
"There was a lot of belief that we could win this game," Albion Head Coach Jody May said. "I don't think there was any added stress or pressure."
The game started off with a quick pace, and the Britons would not let the Flying Dutchmen pull away. With 8:09 left in the first half, first-year guard Arshawn Parker hit two 3-point jumpers on consecutive possessions. Travell Oakes' layup gave the Britons had a 28-26 lead, but with 14 seconds left, Hope junior guard Chad Carlson made a long 3-pointer that would secure the lead at the half for the Dutchmen.
"I give credit to Hope," May said. "They made some big plays down the stretch and hit some big shots, and I don't think we did."
Corey Wheeler led the way with 15 points for the Britons. Jordan Herron had 10 points and seven rebounds, and Travell Oakes had 10 points and five rebounds.
Ben Gardner of Hope scored 25 points, nearly nine points more than his game average.
As a team, the Britons shot just over 47 percent from field goal range, but the difference maker was 3-point and free throw shooting percentage. Hope shot 50 percent from beyond the arc and nearly 86 percent at the line. Albion was only 30 percent from three-point range and just over 61 percent at the line.
"I was very pleased with our offense and our ability to score," May said. "We were very aggressive, and it doesn't surprise me that we were scoring. I was a little disappointed in our defensive effort and our inability to get a couple stops in a row."
Despite the tough loss, Kresge Gymnasium was packed with fans representing both side. The Britons student section was alive and well, and they created an amazing atmosphere for the game.
"It was a very intense, hard-fought game," May said. "Both teams were really getting after it."
Albion, 4-4 in games against league rivals, is tied with Trine University for third place in the league standings. The Britons hit the road next week for league games at Calvin College (Wednesday) and Kalamazoo College (Saturday).
