File Photo of Jordan Herron
ALBION, Mich. – Jordan Herron and Travell Oakes staked Albion to a 15-point lead by scoring the first seven points of the second half as the Britons cruised to an 83-67 victory over Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association rival Kalamazoo inside Kresge Gymnasium Wednesday night.
The 16-point spread marked the largest margin of victory for Albion which has won its last two to move to 7-7 overall and 2-1 against league rivals.
Albion will play its next three on the road, starting with a Saturday night game at Adrian.
Kalamazoo came in with one victory on the season, but helped by Dermarco Dickerson’s 22-point outburst, it never let Albion pull away until late in the first half.
“Kalamazoo is a better team that its record indicates,” Albion Head Coach Jody May said. “We talked before the game about the importance of respecting the opponent. We decided we weren’t going to lose tonight and started playing hard.”
Robert Ryan, Dakota Kazen, Oakes and Haren scored baskets over the final 2 ½ minutes as Albion seized a 42-34 halftime lead.
Herron and Oakes led Albion on the early second half run and Albion led by at least seven the rest of the way.
“We were not as patient offensively in the first half,” May said. “We made a point of getting the ball inside in the second half.”
Albion’s scoring was balanced, with four players scoring in double figures. Oakes matched his career high with 23, hitting 10-of-13 from the field and all three of his attempts from the line. Herron achieved his fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds, Kazen shot 60 percent from the field (6-of-10) to finish with 14 points and Jason Zahran produced 10 off the bench.
“We are a hard team to defend when we get that balance,” May said.
File photo attached courtesy Bobby Lee