ALBION, Mich. – Rain Hinton scored 11 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter as Albion College subdued an upset-minded Saint Mary's College squad, 73-58, on the final day of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular season in women's basketball.
Albion (18-7 overall, 11-5 MIAA) has the No. 3 seed for the MIAA Tournament. The Britons will square off against Trine University at 5:30 p.m. Friday in a semifinal game at the DeVos Fieldhouse in Holland, Mich.
Albion trailed 47-43 after three quarters, but it outscored Saint Mary's, 30-11, in the fourth.
Hinton's old-fashioned three-point play ignited a 10-2 run as Albion forged a 61-53 lead with 4 ½ minutes left.
Hinton was 4-of-5 from the field in the fourth quarter and she collected three steals.
"I give Saint Mary's a ton of credit for coming in and playing hard," Albion Head Coach Doreen Carden said. "Rain is super athletic and she has gotten better since the beginning of the year. She has carried us the last two games. She is a competitor. She doesn't want to lose."
Tierra Orban, one of three Albion seniors playing in their final game at Kresge Gymnasium, produced a career-high 18 points. She hit 4-of-7 shots from 3-point range.
Emily Bernas chipped in with 12 points off the bench.