GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Albion College followed its usual script to pull out its sixth victory of the season Saturday. With time winding down and the score tied at 59, Luke Walker knocked down a 3-point basket from the corner. Kolin Kazen tacked on a pair of free throws as Albion escaped with a 64-59 victory over Calvin College in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association men's basketball action.
It was Albion's first victory over Calvin since 2008 and its first the Van Noord Arena which opened in 2009.
Walker, who buried a "three" to thrust Albion in the lead late in its MIAA opener against Olivet College on Wednesday, was left open when Calvin defenders opted to prevent Kazen from driving to the basket with a double-team.
"The play was designed for me to get it in the post, looking for an easy bucket inside. I heard 'double' and I kicked it out," Kazen said.
Albion delivered a gritty performance after its 11-point lead midway through the first half melted. Alex Harville and Walker sank 3-point shots as part of an 8-0 run that put Albion in front 13-4 6 ½ minutes into the game. Carter Elliott and Walker tacked on layups on consecutive possessions as the Britons surged to a 20-9 and forced Calvin to burn its second timeout of the game.
Calvin responded after the timeout, scoring the next seven points to pull within four. The Knight defense limited Albion to just one basket, a tip-in by Leonard Wernette-Leff just before the end of the half, in the final 4 ½ minutes of the first half and the Britons took a 26-25 lead to the locker room at halftime.
Neither team led by more than four in the second half until Albion scored the game's final five points – all in the last 2.6 seconds.
"We've got great, great seniors," Albion Head Coach Jody May said. "They weren't highly recruited. They're not at the top of our opponents' scouting report. Sean Hendon played a great game at point guard after Anthony Wash went down with a season-ending injury Wednesday. Sean hit some shots for us, took care of the ball and ran our offense.
"This is the third or fourth game that we've won at the end that Luke has made a play – hitting a shot or dishing off for someone else to hit a shot," May added. "The ball has ended up in his hands and he has delivered down the stretch."
Albion (6-7 overall, 2-0 MIAA) has won consecutive games for the first time this season, but it faces another tall challenge Wednesday, Jan. 11 when it travels to Holland, Mich., for its first meeting of the season against 12th-ranked Hope College.