FEB. 26, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College basketball teams are off to solid starts in the shortened 2021 season, with both the men’s and women’s teams improving to 2-1 records after sweep of Mid-Michigan College on Friday.
It was a defensive battle in both games against the Lakers, with the women opening the night winning 56-50.
In a game in which the Raider bench outscored their starters, Shonyah Hawkins would lead the way with 15 points. Trayana Starr-Thurman chipped in with a season-high 13 points off the bench while Olivia Koetje was the only starter to reach double figures, scoring 10 points while adding 10 rebounds.
Starr-Thurman buried her second three-point shot of the game with 7:40 left in to tie it up at 42 and a couple possessions later Hawkins would get a fast-break steal and layup to give the Raiders the lead for good. For Hawkins, it was her third-straight game with 15-plus points. The sophomore from Grand Rapids is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 19.3 points per contest.
The Raiders out-scored the Lakers in the paint 28-2, while the Mid-Michigan out-shot the home team 9 of 24 from long range to 3 of 13. The Raiders also out-rebounded the Lakers 43-35 and had 11 less turnovers, 28-17.
The men's team also would pull out a gritty victory, in a game that would come down the final possession.
The visitors clawed back from a 12-point deficit with 3:25 left in the game, to trail by just one point with 18 seconds left.
On the next play, Malik Cincy – the 2016-2017 MCCAA Western Conference Freshman of the Year – was fouled and connected on both free throw attempts. The Lakers then missed a three-point attempt that could have sent the game into overtime, giving the Raiders a 59-56 victory.
Clincy led the Raiders with 16 points while chipping in six rebounds, three assists and three steals in just 23 minutes of action. Teammates Chandler Collins had 10 points and four assists, and Dasani Darnell had 12 points and five rebounds and were the only other two Raiders in double figures for scoring. Sophomore guard Isaac Anderson racked up a game-high 15 rebounds including six on the offensive end.
Second-chance points and points in the paint proved to big factor for the Raiders victory. Twenty offensive rebounds contributed to 21 second-chance points for the Raiders, compared to just five for the Lakers. The team also dominated the paint area, 44-26.
Both teams will be on the road in the week ahead, heading to Flint, Mich. to take on the Bears of Mott Community College in a non-conference matchup. On Friday the team gets back into conference play with a road trip to Glen Oaks Community College. Both games will be streamed live on the Mott Athletics YouTube page.