Nov. 6, 2021 - GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Grand Rapids Community College's women’s and men’s basketball teams hosted the St. Clair County Community College on Saturday with the women losing a tough one in overtime 68-59, while the men came back to win 89-84.
Grace Lodes, a freshman from Comstock Park, began her college career with a stellar performance. But GRCC couldn't hold on to an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. Lodes scored 20 points and 15 rebounds, adding five assists and five blocks in 43 minutes of action.
Sally Merrill, a freshman from Allegan, gave the Raiders the lead 52-41 with 6:16 left in the fourth quarter. But the Skippers went on a 16-4 run to take a one-point lead with just two seconds remaining.
Merrill, who scored 16 points and had eight rebounds, was fouled on the next possession and made one basket from the line to force the extra period.
St. Clair County then scored 11 of the 13 points in overtime to take the win.
It wasn’t the outcome head coach David Glazier said the team has worked for, but he's excited to watch this squad grow and is looking forward to seeing it compete next weekend in Illinois.
"I thought the second quarter was by far the best basketball this group has played in its short time here," Glazier said, noting the team shot 53% and put up a game-high 19 points. "The players understand putting four quarters of consistent team basketball is how we find success."
The men's basketball game featured 10 lead changes and 11 ties. A 13-4 Skippers run gave the visitors their biggest lead of the night in the second half, but the back-to-back field goals and two free throws by sophomore Andrew Moore made it an 80-78 lead with 2:44 remaining and his Raiders would hold on for the victory, the first for head coach Joe Fox.
Moore, a Forest Hills Northern High School grad, led the Raiders with 24 points, including 13 of them from the charity stripe. Moore, who played in all 40 minutes against St. Clair County, was coming off a 32-point performance in Monday's season opener.
Justus Clark, a redshirt freshman from Farmington Hills, added 18 points and a game-high eight assists while freshmen Rico Wade, of Atlanta, Ga., and Myron Brewer, a freshman from Grand Rapids, scored 17 and 15 points, respectively.
The men will be back at home Nov. 9 to take on Delta College. The women travel to Illinois Central College Nov. 12 for a two-day tournament against the fourth- and sixth-ranked teams in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association Division II poll.