ALBION, Mich. – Jaylin Fordham scored nine of his game-high 20 points over the final 13 minutes to lift Albion College to a 69-65 victory over Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association rival Kalamazoo College inside Kresge Gymnasium.

Winners of both games this week, Albion improved to 4-6 on the year against MIAA rivals and kept its hopes of a February rally to the league tournament alive.

Kalamazoo ripped off a 12-4 run over a five minute period stretching from the end of the first half to the start of the second to build a 39-31 lead. The Hornets led by as many as nine, 47-38, with 10 minutes to play.

Albion scored just five points over the first seven minutes of the second half, but it finished with a flourish of 37 points over the final 13 minutes.

"It has been a while since Jaylin has had a game like this," Head Coach Jody May said of Fordham who produced his highest scoring total in a game since exploding for 33 in a Dec. 19 victory over Spring Arbor University. "He's too good of a player to go into a slump.

"I was frustrated because we weren't taking advantage of what the Kalamazoo defense was giving us," May added. "We kept trying to do our own thing, but it finally clicked. Ewe made some plays down the stretch to win it."

Dylan Bennett hit a pair of 3-point shots to pull Albion within two, 49-47, with 7 ½ minutes left. The Britons finally forged a tie at 55 on Fordham's 3-point basket.

Fordham scored five in a row as Albion seized the lead, 65-60, in the final minute. Robert Ryan and Aquavius Burks combined to go 4-for-4 from the line as Albion closed out the game.

Tanner Blyly led Kalamazoo with 17 points, and Jimmy Paprocki produced a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Albion will play on the road next week, traveling to Adrian College for a Wednesday night game and to Olivet College next Saturday.