ALBION, Mich. – The Adrian College women's basketball team remained in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) playoff chase on Wednesday evening with a 72-65 win at Albion College.

THE BASICS

Final Score: Adrian Bulldogs 72, Albion Britons 65

Location: Kresge Gymnasium, Albion, Mich.

Records: Adrian College (11-12 Overall, 8-7 MIAA); Albion College (9-15, 5-10 MIAA)

HOW IT HAPPENED 

= Adrian junior Marissa Cotton led all scorers with 21 points on 7-for-16 field goal shooting and 6-of-10 at the free throw line. Cotton added six rebounds as well as game highs of four assists and four steals.

= Adrian also got solid performances from senior co-captain Amber McCullough with 16 points on 7-of-9 from the field off the bench, and classmate Antoinea McElroy with 13.

= The Bulldogs led for all of 1 minute and 23 seconds. Cotton's lay-up with 2:14 left in the opening quarter put Adrian up 13-12, and the visitors would never trail after that.

= Adrian used a strong inside game to take a 17-14 advantage after 10 minutes. Senior co-captain Brigette Cameron, McCullough and McElroy combined for 12 points in the period.

= The Bulldogs led by as many as 12 points on a few occasions, including 57-45 after a lay-in by McCullough with 8:12 to go in the game. The Britons then went on a 19-10 run to close within 67-64 after an Olivia Savage 3-pointer.

= Adrian made 3 of 6 free throws in the final 34 seconds to clinch the win.

= Albion missed four field goals and a free throw after cutting the deficit to three points on Savage's triple with 74 seconds to go.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

= Junior Emilee Davidson tied McElroy with an Adrian-high seven rebounds. She also had a blocked shot tonight to give her 10 in the last three games.

= Cotton also had four steals in her last outing versus Calvin, and 11 in her past three games.

= The Bulldogs had a 19-12 edge in points off turnovers.

= Adrian dominated the Britons in the paint, outscoring them 40-16 in the lane.

= Adrian has alternated losses and wins through four games in February.

= The Bulldogs have won two-straight on the road to improve to 5-5 in such games.

= Adrian evens the season series against Albion, which beat the Bulldogs, 76-65, on the road Jan. 16.

= Trine and Olivet – two teams that the Bulldogs are chasing in the MIAA playoffs – met tonight in Olivet and the former prevailed, 62-42.

THE OPPOSITION

= Darian Payne and Jay Bard led Albion with 17 and 14 points, respectively.

= The hosts led the game three times by scores of 2-1, 10-9 and 12-11. A Jay Bard jumper gave the Britons their last lead at the 2:42 mark of the first quarter.

= Erin Nelson came off the bench to grab a game-best nine rebounds and she contributed eight points.

= Catie Neary (8 points) and Payne had three steals each as Albion was credited with six.

UP NEXT

= Adrian will have its regular-season finale at Olivet College at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Bulldogs fell to the Comets, 54-51, in Adrian on Jan. 20.

= With identical 8-7 marks, the Bulldogs are tied with the Comets for the fourth and final playoff spot in the MIAA Tournament. Third-place Trine (9-6 MIAA) is at home against Alma on Saturday.

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