ALBION, Mich. – Grace College relied on its experience to go on a 12-1 run over the final 4 ½ minutes of the first half and that spurt was enough to earn the championship of the Mike Turner Tip-Off Tournament hosted by the Rotary Club of Albion and sponsored by The Andersons Albion Ethanol with a 78-67 victory over Albion College.
Albion was shooting 63 percent from the field as it held a 23-20 lead with 7 ½ minutes left in the first half. The Britons led 25-23 on Zach Hurth's layup and 27-26 on Kolin Kazen's jumper.
Jacob Peattie propelled Grace to a 33-28 lead with a layup and a three-point goal. Elliot Smith added a 3-point goal and all-tournament award winner Greg Miller contributed a layup.
Grace maintained a double-digit lead for the majority of the second half, but Albion made the closing moments interesting with a 5-0 run from a pair of free throws by Lawrence Ridgell and a three-point goal by Anthony Wash (Redford/Redford Union). Suddenly, Albion had whittled Grace's lead down to five, 70-65, with 3:11 to play.
Miller thwarted Albion's comeback hopes when he collared an offensive rebound and converted a layup on the Lancers' next possession.
Wash scored nine points and dished out four assists to earn a place on the all-tournament team along with Sean Hendon, who scored a career-high 17 points in Albion's opening round win over Franciscan University. Kolin Kazen produced a career-high 25 points.
Duke Johnson, the tournament's MVP, had an efficient 15-point game. He was 3-of-5 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line.
Albion continues non-league play Tuesday, Nov. 22, with a home date against Heidelberg University of Tiffin, Ohio. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Kresge Gymnasium.