Welcome to the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference. The OCCAC is made of eight Community Colleges in Ohio. The Ohio Community College promotes and fosters community college intercollegiate athletics for men and women on the state level.
Thursday, February 2
Cincinnati State Lady Surge (20-1/6-0) Bounce Back From First Loss of the Season With 79-62 Win Over Sinclair
The Cincinnati State women's basketball team got back to its winning ways on Wednesday night with a 79-62 conference victory over Sinclair Community College.
Coming off the first loss of the season against Vincennes on Monday night, Cincinnati State was eager to get back on the floor to redeem themselves. Three players scored in double figures for the Surge led by Brittiney Latimer who came off the bench to lead all scorers with 18 points in the contest. Reigning conference player of the week Dominique Fischer scored 17 points and led the Surge with 7 assists on the night. Forward Asia Dillingham recorded the only double-double of the night with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Despite having on off night offensively, Kara McLemore and Taylor Frazier provided a spark on the defensive end. McLemore finished with a game high 5 steals while Frazier led all players in blocks with 4 as the Surge were able to pull away with the 17 point conference victory.
Currently sitting at No.2 in the NJCAA national polls with a 20-1 record and a perfect 6-0 conference record, the Lady Surge will return to action against the club team from the University of Dayton this Saturday followed by a match up against one of junior college's top scorers in Edison Community College's Brianna Innocent on Wednesday, February 8th. Saturday's game is scheduled for 12:30 pm. Next Wednesday's game against Edison is scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm.
The Cincinnati State Surge Men's Basketball (15-6/4-2) Beat Sinclair in Dominating Fashion at Home
The Cincinnati State men's basketball team beat Sinclair Community College by a score of 99-70 on Wednesday night.
Freshman forward Cody Martin had a game high 19 points off the bench while shooting 90% from the field. Martin also had 12 rebounds which marked his 6th double-double of the season. Forward Karriem Baker also came off of the bench to record a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Center D'Wayne Bazemore rounded out the Surge frontcourt with 12 points. Three of the Surge guards scored in double-figures led by Marquis Wilson with 17 points followed by Anton Hutchins with 15 points and Charles Clarke who finished with 10 points. Facilitating Cincinnati State's offensive attack was point guard Jazel Garrett. Garrett finished with a Cincinnati State season high 15 assists to go along with 5 steals in the 29 point victory.
With the win, Cincinnati State improves to 15-6 overall with a 4-2 record in conference play. The Surge return to action at home this Saturday against Clark State. The game is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.
Kelly Leads Four In Double Figures As Express Men (16-8/3-3) Roll Over Edison State (7-12/0-5) By 25
The Express men's basketball team snapped a three game losing streak with a 96-71 defeat of Edison State Community College in the SHAC Wednesday night.
The Chargers started strong and had Owens down the majority of the first half. After taking a 31-21 lead with 8:17 remaining in the first half, Edison saw that disappear in the next 3:03 as the Express went on a 12-2 run to tie it at 33. Owens then closed the half on a 19-5 run, and led by as many as 17 shortly before ending the half up 52-38.
In the second half, the Express opened with a 28-7 run and held an 80-45 lead with 10:23 remaining. Franklin Lindsey and Kelvin Clark both came through with career highs in points off the bench for Owens. Lindsey was third on the team in scoring as he finished with 16 points, three rebounds, three steals and one assist, while Clark was fourth on the team in scoring and finished with 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and one block
The Express was led by James Kelly, who while despite only playing 23 minutes, finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two assists. He went 8-for-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from the foul line. Justin Edmonds added 17 points, four assists, two rebounds and one steal in 27 minutes.
Edison State was led by Lamont Cole, who finished with 23 points and four steals. Kyle Duncan added 13 points, while Jessie Davis had 12 points. Nick Tingle pitched in seven points and 17 rebounds (11 offensive) for the Chargers.
Owens finished 38-for-73 from the field overall, 11-for-29 from three point range and 9-for-16 from the foul line, while Edison State finished 25-for-64 overall from the field, 5-for-17 from three point range and 16-for-24 from the foul line. Edison outrebounded the Express 43-35, but the Express had 11 less turnovers, 17 more assists, two more blocks, eight more steals, 10 more points in the paint, 14 more points off turnovers, and 29 more points off the bench.
With the win, Owens is now 16-8 overall and 3-3 in the OCCAC. Edison State falls to 7-12 overall and 0-5 in the OCCAC.
The Express will travel to Columbus, OH this Saturday to take on No. 3 Columbus State Community College at 3 p.m.
Hall and Foster Lead No. 9 Express Women (20-4/5-1) Past Edison State (12-7/1-4) 62-48
The No. 9 Express women's basketball team earned their 20th win of the season with a hard-fought 62-48 victory over OCCAC foe Edison State in the SHAC on Wednesday night.
The Express opened the game strong and led 14-4 with 14:27 remaining in the first half. Edison State started chipping away, however, and cut their deficit to three with 8:21 remaining. Owens then took a 28-22 lead into the half. After Edison tied the game at 30 with 15:30 remaining, the Express went on a 27-11 run, took a 57-41 lead with 4:34 remaining, and seized control of the game.
Aja Hall led the Express with 21 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. However, despite struggling from the field, Kieona Foster had the best all-around game for the Express. The sophomore point guard finished with four points, a career-high 15 rebounds, eight steals, six assists and two blocks.
Hall, who finished 9-for-21 from the field overall, 2-for-5 from three point range and 1-for-4 from the foul line, now has 878 career points. She is now seven points away from tying Niccole Brown for sixth place on the career scoring list.
Uniqua Mitchell added 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal for the Express, while Emma-Jean Ricketts finished with 10 points, three assists and two rebounds for Owens. Karahn Scott had seven points, 10 rebounds and one steal off the bench.
Edison State was led by Kendra Brunswick, who finished with 18 points, six rebounds and two steals. Mackenzie May added 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks, while Lottie Hageman had six points and 11 rebounds.
Despite the ups and downs of the game, the Express never trailed, and the game was only tied twice. Owens finished 27-for-78 from the field overall, 4-for-19 from three point range and 4-for-8 from the foul line. Edison finished 19-for-65 overall, 5-for-25 from three point range and 5-for-7 from the foul line.
The Express outproduced Edison in rebounds (53-48), assists (16-12), blocks (6-3), steals (15-3), points in the paint (36-18), and points off turnovers (23-9). They also had fewer assists (14-24). Edison had more second chance points (12-11) and bench points (19-11).
With the win, Owens improves to 20-4 overall and 5-1 in the OCCAC, while Edison falls to 12-7 overall and 1-4 in the OCCAC.
The Express will travel to Columbus State this Saturday for a 1 p.m. matchup.
Attention: Lakeland Vs. Cuyahoga Basketball Games Scheduled Tonight Moved
The Lakeland/Cuyahoga games scheduled for Wednesday, February 1st 5:30 (women) and 7:30 (men) at Lakeland have been moved to Lake Erie College's campus.
Address: 391 Washington St., Painesville, OH 44077 Click for directions.
Game times will remain the same, 5:30 and 7:30pm.
Columbus State Making the Grades
It’s 4:30 p.m. on a Monday, and men’s basketball practice at Columbus State has been going strong for 45 minutes.
But there are no sounds of balls bouncing or sneakers squeaking. The players are not sweating. They have not taken one shot or one dribble, nor will they until 5:15 p.m. Every player is sitting in a classroom behind a desktop or laptop computer, writing in a notebook or reading.
Welcome to the Cougars’ daily mandatory study table.
The day starts at 9:40 a.m. with assistant coaches Stephen White, Mark Sommer and Todd May meeting four players each to go over their assignments from the day before and what they have in store for that day.
Columbus State is 19-2 and ranked No. 6 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II poll. But what is happening on the academic side might be even more impressive.
The players’ cumulative grade-point average last quarter was 2.9. Since Pat Carlisle became coach six years ago, no player has been academically ineligible. He arranges their class schedules and sends progress reports to parents or guardians three times a quarter.
Columbus State has been a national power in having won 104 games the previous four years, with an appearance in an NJCAA Tournament regional final in 2008-09 and the final four in 2007-08.
“I tell (recruits that) these are real classes and that it’s not going to be easy here,” Carlisle said. “We run a structured program on and off the court. Oh, yes, we do lose some good players, but we think we get the right ones. Our daily conversation with the players is that this can be their last chance. We do lose players, but it’s never for bad grades.”
White makes sure no one simply kills time during study table.
“We tell them that basketball is a dream, but it doesn’t always come true,” White said. “Then we ask, ‘What do you rely on then?’ ”
The team might have as many as three academic All-Americans this school year.
Guard Brook Turson, a sophomore from Plymouth in Huron County, has a 4.0 average in physical therapy. Turson tried to walk on at Central Michigan but developed mononucleosis and pneumonia and had to drop out.
“I came here because I want a chance to play in Division I or Division II, but also because of the academics,” he said. “Coach Carlisle got my attention when he said he wanted more than a basketball player. It is demanding here. This is run like a Division I program. But that’s why I’m here.”
Point guard Glenn Cosey, a sophomore from Flint, Mich., is getting a second chance to show colleges that he can be more than a basketball player. He has a 3.4 GPA in sports management.
“I’m here for a reason, and that’s because I didn’t take high school seriously,” he said. “I take (classwork) seriously now. I was recruited by Oakland (Mich.), Eastern Michigan and Stonybrook (N.Y.), but my lack of grades kept me from that level.”
Cosey said he returns to his apartment tired each day, but that it’s a satisfied feeling.
“Schoolwork here is not even close to what it was in high school,” he said. “It’s a lot of work. It’s college. What these coaches have done is motivate me. They got my head straight here. I’m not just a basketball player anymore.”
mznidar@dispatch.com
Tuesday, January 31
Hall Passes Another Milestone As No. 9 Owens Women's Basketball (19-4/4-1) Defeats Ohio Northern JV 61-55
The No. 9 Express women’s basketball team survived a battle on the road to defeat Ohio Northern University’s JV team 61-55 Monday night.
With Owens down three with 4:12 remaining, Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, OH) came through with five points to help give her team a two point lead. Then, with the Express up two, ONU had the ball out of bounds with 30 seconds left. However, a driving lay-up attempt was swatted by Uniqua Mitchell (MLK/Detroit, MI) and the ball went out of bounds off ONU.
The Express inbounded the ball and Hall found Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, OH) for a lay-in to secure a four point lead. Mackenzie Heacock (Arlington/Arlington, OH) hit two free throws in the final seconds to secure the six point margin.
Hall led the way with 17 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and one assist. With her 17 points tonight, she now has 857 career points, which allows her to pass Stephanie Galant of Lake HS (856 points) for seventh place on the career scoring list. Next up is Niccole Brown of Toledo Central Catholic HS at 885 career points.
Mitchell was just behind Hall in points as she finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block. Ricketts struggled offensively in the first half, but finished with eight points, 11 rebounds, two assists and one block. Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, OH) added eight points, seven rebounds, five assists, three blocks and one steal for the Express.
Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, OH) led the Express in blocks with five. With tonight’s game, she surpassed the century mark in blocks this year and now has 102 in 18 games – matching her total from all of last season.
ONU out-performed Owens on the boards by a 53-48 margin, including a 23-15 advantage on the offensive glass. ONU also had more assists (17-15), less turnovers (18-20), more steals (11-9), more second chance points (13-6) and more bench points (18-14).
Meanwhile, the Express had more blocks (12-3), points in the paint (32-26) and points off turnovers (14-9). The game saw seven ties and 11 lead changes.
The Express trailed 28-26 at the half before outscoring ONU 35-27 in the second half. The six point winning margin for the Express was their largest lead of the game, while ONU led by 10 at 16-6 with 11:32 remaining in the first half.
Owens finished 22-for-61 overall from the field, 5-for-18 from three point range and 12-for-22 from the foul line. ONU finished 21-for-78 from the field overall, 5-for-31 from three point range and 8-for-12 from the foul line.
After a first half field goal percentage of 29.4, the Express picked it up and shot 12-for-27 (44.4 percent) in the second half, while ONU fell from 29.7 percent in the first half to 24.4 percent in the second half.
ONU, who brought four players from their varsity team into the matchup, was led by Jordan Kimes, who had 14 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. Lauren VonStein added 10 rebounds.
Owens moves to 19-4 overall and 4-1 in the OCCAC. They will take on Edison State Community College on Wednesday in the SHAC at 5:30 p.m.
Cincinnati State Lady Surge (19-1/5-0) Suffer First Loss of the Season on the Road to Vincennes
The Cincinnati State women's basketball team suffered the first loss of the season on the road to Vincennes University by a score of 91-76 on Monday night. The loss snapped the Surge's 19 game winning streak.
For the Vincennes Trailblazers, a NJCAA D-I program, the victory marked the 12th win in a row. Vincennes also kept a perfect record at home as they improved to 13-0 on their court. Five Vincennes players scored in double figures led by Skylarr Shurn with 25 points on the night. Cincinnati State, the second ranked team in the NJCAA polls, had four of its six sophomores score in double-figures led by Taylor Frazier with 24 points, Brittiney Latimer with 13 points, Asia Dillingham with 12 points and Kara McLemore who finished with 11 points.
With the first blemish on the record, Cincinnati State falls to 19-1 overall with a 5-0 record in conference play. The Surge will look to bounce back against Sinclair Community College at home on Wednesday, Feb. 1st. The game begins at 5:30 PM.
Cincinnati State Surge Men's Basketball (14-6/3-2) Lose 87-60 to Vincennes University
The Cincinnati State men's basketball team lost 87-60 to Vincennes University, the 6th ranked team in NJCAA Div. I.
Vincennes guard Kendall Vieke led the Blazers to their 18th straight home victory with 16 points followed by Deshawn Delaney who finished with 15 points. For the Surge, who have not won at Vincennes since the 1994-1995 season, Anton Hutchins scored 16 points followed by Jazel Garrett with 13 points and Marquis Wilson who scored 11 points.
Now at 14-6 overall with a 3-2 record in conference play, the Surge will look to get back to their winning ways against Sinclair Community College at home on Wednesday, Feb. 1st. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM.
Sunday, January 29
Columbus State's Conde and Cincinnati State's Fischer Week Two "OCCAC Players of the Week" for Basketball
Congratulations to Mohamed Conde of Columbus State Community College and Dominique Fischer of Cincinnati State Community College for being named week two OCCAC Men's and Women's Basketball "Players of the Week".
Mohamed Conde and Columbus State defeated two OCCAC rivals during the week in Lakeland and Sinclair. Mohamed achieved two double-doubles in the games. In the Lakeland game, he scored 14 points while pulling down 14 rebounds. In the game against Sinclair, he shot 67% from the field, scoring 23 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.
Columbus State is currently ranked 6th in the nation and is on top of the OCCAC standings.
On the women's side, Cincinnati State's Dominique Fischer led the Surge to victories over Edison and Owens on the road.
Against the Edison Chargers, Fischer went 5 for 6 from beyond the arc, which included a buzzer beating three at the end of the first half. Fischer led the Surge to an 82 to 68 win with 21 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals while shooting over 50% from the field. On Saturday at 8th ranked Owens Community College, Fischer scored 17 points, 5 rebounds and led the way defensively with 4 steals as the Surge pulled out a 92 to 84 overtime victory.
For the week, the Flint, Michigan native averaged 19 points while shooting an impressive 55% from beyond the arc. Defensively, she averaged 3.5 steals per game as the second ranked Surge improved to 17-0 overall with a 3-0 conference record.Congratulations from the OCCAC Basketball Committee to both Mohamed and Dominique and their respective teams for continued success throughout the year.
Number 6 Ranked Columbus State Men's Basketball (19-2/5-1) Continues to Dominate OCCAC League Play
Columbus State Cougar men's basketball is once again climbing in the national polls and have reached the number 6 spot this week. The team traveled played Edison on Saturday and knocked off by a convincing score of 117-70. With the victory, Columbus State advances to 5 -1 in conference play and continues to hold onto sole possession of the league lead.
In the game for the Cougars, seven players scored in the double digits lead by Mohammed Conde with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
Men’s Basketball (13-8/1-3) Drop One at Home to #12 Ranked Lakeland 88-77
Both teams spend the first few minutes feeling each other out until the Pride started to inch into the lead with some easy transition baskets. The Pride took a 45-36 lead into half on the heels of some keys plays and timely rebounding.
Most of the second half was all Lakeland as the Pride committed 13 turnovers that lead to easy Laker points. The #12 ranked team in the nation pushed the lead out to as many as 10 before the Pride started its final comeback. Sinclair was able to close the lead down to 4 with under 2 minutes to go but missed free throws and more costly turnovers sealed the victory for Lakeland
Leading Sinclair with 18 points, Freshman Point Guard Charlie Byers (5-10/Cincinnati Moeller H.S.), Sophomore Forward Jonathan Bibbs (6-4/Chaminade Julienne H.S.) 17 points and 5 rebounds.
Sinclair will now go on the road Wednesday for an OCCAC match up against Cincinnati State.
Sinclair Women’s Basketball (12-6/3-1) Wins at Home 89-78 Over Lakeland
The Pride continued conference play Saturday night as Sinclair knocked off Lakeland 89-78.
Lakeland controlled most of the first half and took a 39-33 lead into half as they capitalized on poor shooting from the Pride.
The Pride rebounded and got back on track shooting 52% from the field and 44% from the behind arc in the second half to pull out a 89-78 victory.
Leading the way for the Pride with a team high 22 points and 6 assist and 6 rebounds was Katie Von Lehmden (5-6/Fort Jennings H.S.). Chipping in with a double-double was Danielle Forrer (5-7/Troy Christian H.S.) with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Sinclair travel to Cincinnati State Wednesday for another OCCAC match up.
Cincinnati State Surge Men's Basketball (14-5/3-2) Beat Cuyahoga Community College On The Road
The Cincinnati State men's basketball team won on the road against Cuyahoga Community College by a score of 74 to 63.
For Cincinnati State, Saturday's win carried a little more significance than usual as the team looked to avenge last year's loss at Cuyahoga- a game that decided the 2011 regular season conference championship. Leading the Surge to victory was freshman forward D'Wayne Bazemore who recorded his first double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Following Bazemore was guard Marquis Wilson who finished with 17 points and 3 steals on the afternoon. Charles Clarke chipped in with 13 points followed by Anton Hutchins who scored 12 points as Cincinnati State was able to bounce back from Wednesday's loss to Columbus State Community College.
Improving to 14-5 overall with a 3-2 record in conference play, Cincinnati State will look to make it two wins in a row when they travel on Monday, January 30th to face Vincennes University - a team ranked 6th in the NJCAA D-I national poll.
Cincinnati State Women (19-0/5-0) Win On the Road Against Cuyahoga Community College
The Cincinnati State women's basketball team beat Cuyahoga Community College by a score of 84 to 45 on Saturday.
Sophomores Dominique Fischer and Asia Dillingham led the way for the Cincinnati State Surge as they stayed undefeated on the season. Fischer led all scorers with 27 points and recorded 3 steals on the afternoon. Dillingham scored 13 points. Kara McLemore finished with 8 points and 10 rebounds. Although having a quiet day offensively with 5 points, center Taylor Frazier pulled down 15 rebounds to go along with 2 blocks as the Surge cruised to the 39 point victory over their in-conference opponent.
With the win, Cincinnati State is a perfect 19-0 overall with a 5-0 record in conference play. Cincinnati State's next game on Monday, January 30th will be a tough test on the road against Vincennes University. Vincennes is currently 17-3 on the season with a perfect 11-0 record at home.
Thursday, January 26
No. 12 Lakeland Men's Basketball (16-3/2-1) Powers Past Owens in OCCAC Action
Brendan Cooper led four players in double figures as the nationally-ranked Lakeland men’s basketball team picked up a key conference victory over visiting Owens on Wednesday night inside the Athletic & Fitness Center. Cooper paced the hosts with 19 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the floor to go along with nine rebounds and three blocks.
Freshman Chaz Rollins (Warrensville Heights, Ohio / John Hay) added 18 and six rebounds in the victory, helping the Lakers improve to 16-3 overall and 2-1 in OCCAC play. Freshman Deran Banton (Jamaica, N.Y.) chipped in 16 points while classmate Martell Medley (Cleveland, Ohio / Euclid) had 14 on 4 of 4 shooting from the floor.
Lakeland opened a 41-36 halftime lead and outscored Owens by the identical score over the final 20 minutes of play.
The Lakers now turn their attention to Sinclair Community College as they travel to Dayton, Ohio on Saturday for a 4:00 conference matchup. Owens (15-8, 2-3 OCCAC) looks to bounce back the same day when it plays host to Edison.
Hall And Foster Lead No. 9 Express Women (18-4/4-1) In Rout Of Lakeland, 74-45
Sophomore forward Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, OH) and sophomore point guard Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, OH) led the No. 9 Express women's basketball team past Lakeland 74-45 on the road Wednesday night.
Hall finished 8-for-19 overall from the field, 1-for-3 from three point range and 7-for-12 from the foul line to finish with 24 points, nine rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes. Foster shot 4-for-7 from the field and 2-for-2 from the foul line to finish with 10 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and two steals in 26 minutes. It was her seventh double figure rebounding game of the season and her third with 14. Hall and Foster each had six rebounds on the offensive end.
With her big game, Hall moved into eighth place on the career scoring list with 840 points. She passed Dawn Spencer (818) and Robin Nesper (837). Next up is Stephanie Galant, who has 856 points.
Owens jumped out to a 36-16 lead at halftime before cruising to the 29 point victory.
Aside from Hall and Foster, Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, OH) had 14 points, five rebounds and one steal in 20 minutes. Mackenzie Heacock (Arlington/Arlington, OH) and Uniqua Mitchell (MLK/Detroit, MI) each added eight points, while Karahn Scott (Scott/Toledo, OH) had six points, eight rebounds, two assists and one steal. Danielle Bezeau (Swanton/Swanton, OH) had a scrappy game with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, OH) added a team-high six blocks, along with two points, three rebounds and two steals. She now has eight games of six or more blocks this year and has 97 total blocks in 17 games played. With eight games remaining in the regular season plus the postseason, Galvan is 30 blocks short of tying the school record for most in a season and 48 from tying the career record.
Diminika King had a monster game for Lakeland as she finished with 11 points, 21 rebounds (11 offensive), six blocks and one steal in 30 minutes. Emily Brainard led Lakeland in scoring with 15.
Owens shot 27-for-73 overall from the field, 3-for-12 from three point range and 17-for-26 from the foul line. Meanwhile, Lakeland shot 19-for-76 overall, 2-for-19 from three point range and 5-for-7 from the foul line. Despite the monster game from King, Lakeland was outrebounded by Owens 58 to 49. Both team had 24 offensive rebounds.
The Express held also held advantages in assists (11-7), turnovers (17-24), blocks (9-7), steals (11-8), points in the paint (46-14), points off turnovers (26-10), second chance points (21-15), and bench points (34-10). They held their largest lead of the game at 31 with 13:44 remaining in the game. Lakeland never led in the game.
Coming off their OT loss to No. 2 Cincinnati State, the Express (18-4, 4-1 OCCAC) only fell one spot to No. 9 upon the release of the latest NJCAA Div. II poll prior to Wednesday's game. Their next game is this coming Monday Jan. 30 in Ada, OH against Ohio Northern University JV at 7 p.m.
Lakeland Uses FT Advantage To Propel Past Express Men (15-8/2-3) 82-72
The Express men could not overcome a large deficit at the foul line in a 82-72 loss to No. 12 Lakeland Community College on the road Wednesday night.
Lakeland attempted 27 free throws in the game, while the Express only attempted two. Kelvin Clark (Bogan/Chicago, IL) got to the line with 1:07 remaining in the game for the only two Express attempts. Lakeland was whistled for only nine fouls in the game.
Despite all that, the Express led for a decent portion of the first half and made it a close game for part of the second half, thanks to the play of James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, MI) and Jordan Basinger (Kalida/Kalida, OH).
Despite being limited to only nine minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, Kelly finished 9-for-15 from the field and led Owens with 18 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal.
Meanwhile, Basinger got the first start of his career and finished with 12 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists. He played a season-high 34 minutes and finished 5-for-9 from the field. He also made the first three point field goal of his career.
In fact, it was Basinger’s second three pointer of the game from the right corner that tied the game at 46 with 12:57 remaining in the second half.
However, a 13-4 run over the next 3:36 helped give Lakeland the momentum back. Owens never got closer than that, and Lakeland stretched their lead to 15 at three different times over the final ten minutes.
Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, MI) added 10 points, two rebounds and two assists for Owens. Milan Mabry (Bowsher/Toledo, OH) added nine points off the bench on 3-for-6 shooting from long range.
Mabry and others helped the Express shoot 11-for-30 from beyond the three point line to assist in keeping the game close.
Four players scored in double figures for Lakeland. Brendan Cooper led the way with 21 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, while Chaz Rollins had 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Deran Banton and Martell Medley each added 14 points, while Banton had a game-high five steals.
Owens shot 30-for-66 overall from the field, while Lakeland shot 30-for-61. Lakeland had more rebounds (39-32), points in the paint (48-30), points off turnovers (30-16), second chance points (10-5), steals (13-9) and bench points (25-20).
The game was tied three times and the lead changed three times.
Owens is now 15-8 overall and 2-3 in the OCCAC. They have lost three consecutive games. Meanwhile, Lakeland moves to 16-3 overall and 2-1 in the OCCAC.
The Express will now have a week off before resuming action next Wednesday Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the SHAC.
Lady Surge (18-0/4-0) Wins At Home Against OCCAC Rival Columbus State
The Cincinnati State Lady Surge beat conference rival Columbus State by a score of 81 to 55 on Wednesday night.
The Surge had a balanced scoring attack led by center Taylor Frazier who had 15 points, 17 rebounds and 8 blocked shots. Small forward Kara McLemore also finished with 15 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 7 steals. Guard Dominique Fischer finished with 14 points followed by forward Asia Dillingham who had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Starting point guard Alexis Fitzpatrick recorded 9 assists in the victory.
Improving to 18-0 overall with a 4-0 conference record, the Surge, who currently rank no. 2 in the NJCAA polls, will look to continue their winning ways on the road against Cuyahoga Community College on Saturday, January 28th.
Cincinnati State Men (13-5/2-2) Take Step Back and Fall at home to No. 6 Ranked Columbus State
The Cincinnati State men's basketball team lost to Columbus State by a score of 96 to 84.
Despite a game-high 38 points from sophomore guard Anton Hutchins, the Surge had no answer for Columbus State's balanced offensive attack led by Jordan Watson (21 points), Glenn Cosey (21 points) and Darnell Tubbs (20 points) - all of whom scored 20 or more points. Cincinnati State also struggled from the free throw line hitting just over 64% as compared to Columbus State's 75%.
After the loss to Columbus State, who is currently ranked 6th in the NJCAA polls, the Surge stand at 13-5 overall with a 2-2 conference record heading into a road matchup against defending Ohio Community College Athletic Conference champion Cuyahoga Community College on Saturday, January 28th.
Sunday, January 22
Lakeland's Cooper and Columbus State's Pierron Capture Week One "OCCAC Players of the Week" for Basketball
Congratulations to Brendan Cooper of Lakeland Community College and Bailey Pierron of Columbus State Community College for being named week one OCCAC Men's and Women's Basketball "Players of the Week".
Brendan Cooper and Lakeland came into a traditionally tough place to play at Cincinnati State and helped the Lakers take home the road victory. In the game, Brendan scored 15 points along with 15 rebounds and three steals to seal the victory for the Lakers and put them on top of the OCCAC standings at the time. He shot 64% from the field and was 50% from three point land.
On the women's side, Columbus State freshman Bailey Pierron led the Cougars to a come from behind victory at Cuyahoga Community College. In the contest, Bailey had 27 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 blocked shot and 2 steals.
Coach Joel Renner states "Bailey is a very hard worker and clutch performer. If she keeps up her work ethic, she will get a lot of attention in conference play. She has helped the Cougars reach 12 wins in 17 games, which is the total amount of wins Columbus State Community College earned in 2010-2011 season."
Congratulations from the OCCAC Basketball Committee to both Brendan and Bailey and their respective teams for continued success throughout the year.
Saturday, January 21
Lady Surge (17-0/3-0) Stay Perfect With an Overtime Road Win Over Owens Community College
The Cincinnati State women's basketball team beat the Owens Community College Express in overtime by a score of 92 to 84.
In a game featuring two teams currently ranked in the top ten in the NJCAA national poll, the Surge, who currently rank second in the polls, traveled to face undoubtedly the toughest test of the year in 8th ranked Owens. Throughout the first and second half, neither team led by more than six points. In the final Owens possession of regulation, guard Uniqua Mitchell hit a game tying three with 10 seconds left on the clock which would eventually send the game into overtime.
Overtime would prove to be all Cincinnati State. The Surge forced Owens in to several turnovers resulting in fast break points while claiming a 10 point lead to ultimately earn the victory. Kara McLemore, who scored 5 big points in the overtime period, led the Surge with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Backcourt teammates Dede Henry and Dominique Fischer each scored 17 points in the victory. Asia Dillingham chipped in with 11 points as the Surge claimed their 17th win of the season.
Staying perfect at 17-0 with a 3-0 conference record, the Cincinnati State Surge will return home to face Columbus State on Wednesday, January 25th at 5:30 PM.
Cincinnati State Surge (13-4/2-1) Earn Hard Fought Win Over Owens Community College
The Cincinnati State men's basketball team won 65 to 62 over the Owens Community College Express on Saturday afternoon.
Despite leading throughout the entire game, the Cincinnati State Surge were constantly under pressure to make every possession count due to the three point shooting of Owens guard Justin Edmonds who hit 6 three point field goals while shooting 45% from beyond the arc on the afternoon. Cincinnati State's Anton Hutchins countered Edmonds throughout the game scoring a team-high 22 points while shooting 8 for 10 from the field and converting 5 of 6 free throws. Perhaps Hutchins' biggest points came on two clutch free throws to put the Surge up four with just under 30 seconds left in the ball game. Forward Karriem Baker established his presence in the paint scoring 16 points and pulling down 9 rebounds as the team was able to hold on to claim the road victory over its conference rival.
Now at 13-4 overall with a 2-1 conference record, the Surge will return home on Wednesday, January 25th to face Columbus State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm.
Despite 26 From Edmonds, Owens Express Men (15-7/2-2) Fall 65-62 To Cincinnati State In OCCAC Tilt
Despite 26 points from Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, MI), the Owens Express men's basketball team lost a close game to Cincinnati State 65-62 in the SHAC today.
Cincinnati State started strong as they took an 11-3 lead with 15:58 remaining in the first half. However, strong play by Jordan Basinger (Kalida/Kalida, OH) off the bench helped Owens cut their deficit to three at 35-32 before halftime. Basinger finished the first half with 11 points and two steals on 4-for-4 shooting from the field and a 3-for-3 performance at the line.
Meanwhile, Anton Hutchins had a strong first half for Cincinnati State as he finished with 16.
Owens then started the second half off right when Taronta Cole (Gulfport/Gulfport, MS) made a steal and assisted on an alley-oop dunk to James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, MI) to bring the Express within one. However, Cincinnati State then went on a 10-0 run to achieve their largest lead at 45-34 with 16:52 remaining in the game.
Back-to-back three pointers and a driving lay-in by Edmonds then cut the deficit to three before Cincinnati State called a timeout. The deficit then ballooned to eight with just under five minutes remaining before Edmonds hit two free throws and Kelly threw down back-to-back dunks - cutting the lead to just two.
After a jumper by Hutchins, Edmonds hit another three pointer to cut the lead to one. A lay-in by Karriem Baker and two free throws by Hutchins then gave Cincinnati State a five point lead before Edmonds hit a driving lay-up to cut the deficit to three with 17 seconds remaining. Following a missed free throw by Baker, Edmonds drove in for another layup to make it a one point game. However, before the Express could foul after the inbound pass, Charles Clarke dunked it home to essentially seal the game. Edmonds missed a three pointer and a heave at the buzzer to end the game.
Edmonds went 9-for-17 from the field overall, 6-for-13 from three point range and 2-for-2 from the foul line to finish with 26 points. Basinger ended up with 13 points, six rebounds, four steals and one assist, while Kelly had 12 points, three rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal. Jeff Burroughs (Belleville/Ypsilanti, MI) finished with five points, four rebounds and nine assists, while Jay Marquette (Central Catholic/Rossford, OH) had four steals.
Cincinnati State was led by 22 points, six rebounds and three assists from Hutchins. Baker added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Marquis Wilson had 12 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Owens shot 23-for-60 from the field overall, 7-for-27 from three point range and 9-for-10 from the foul line. Cincinnati State shot 27-for-56 from the field overall, 1-for-5 from three point range and 10-for-16 from the foul line. The Surge held a large advantage on the glass as they out-rebounded the Express 43 to 26, including a 14 to 9 advantage on the offensive glass. Owens had 11 more assists and turned the ball over six less times than Cincinnati State, but were outscored in the paint 38 to 28, in points off turnovers (12 to 10), second chance points (8 to 4) and bench points (24 to 19).
The Express (15-7, 2-2 OCCAC) will now take on No. 7 Lakeland Community College this coming Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Kirtland, OH. Cincinnati State moves to 13-4 overall and 2-1 in the OCCAC.
No. 8 Express Women (17-4/3-1) Fall In OT Thriller to No. 2 Cincinnati State 92-84
A thrilling second half led to an overtime matchup between No. 8 Owens and No. 2 Cincinnati State. In the extra session, however, the Express went cold offensively as they fell 92-84.
Down 43-35 with 2:29 remaining in the first half, Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, OH) drove from midcourt to the hoop to score and spur a 9-0 Express run that gave her team a 44-43 lead heading into halftime. It would set up a back-and-forth second half. Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, OH) paced the Express with 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting in the first half. The Express closed their run and gained the lead when Uniqua Mitchell (MLK/Detroit, MI) hit the first three pointer of the game for her team with seconds left in the first half.
The second half alone produced nine ties and nine lead changes. After a free throw by Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, OH) tied the game at 71 with 4:46 remaining, Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, OH) hit a three to give the Express a three point lead. Cincinnati State's Dominique Fischer then drove to the hoop for a lay-up, Asia Dillingham hit a jumper, and Alexis Fitzpatrick hit a lay-up to give Cincinnati State a three point lead with 2:08 remaining.
Galvan then hit a lay-up to cut the deficit to one for the Express. A jumper by Cincinnati State's Kara McLemore pushed it back to three with 1:25 left in the game. Then, on a Cincinnati State possession with under a minute remaining, Fitzpatrick was stuffed by Galvan. Ricketts grabbed the board and passed to Foster, who then passed it to Mitchell, who hit a three in transition to tie the game for the 13th time with 18 seconds left at 79 all. After a 30 second timeout by Cincinnati State, Dillingham missed a jumper with a few seconds left. Taylor Frazier grabbed the offensive board and tried to put it back up, but Galvan rejected her at the buzzer to send it to overtime.
Cincinnati State then won the tip in the overtime period and proceeded to go on a 7-0 run before Mitchell hit a jumper in the paint. A free throw by Dillingham and a lay-up by McLemore then stretched it back to eight. Cincinnati State would then hit their free throws down the stretch to seal the deal and remain undefeated. Owens was outscored 13-5 in the extra session.
The biggest downfalls for the Express came at the foul line, where they missed 17 free throws and finished 19-for-36, and in the turnover battle as they had 23 compared to only 11 for Cincinnati State. Meanwhile, Cincinnati State made 25-for-39 from the foul line and outscored the Express in points off those turnovers 25 to 14.
Ricketts finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds in 38 minutes. She was 9-for-14 from the field, but 2-for-7 from the foul line. Mitchell produced 19 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 39 minutes, while Hall had 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 30 minutes. Foster chipped in 10 points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal in 34 minutes. Before fouling out in the OT session, Foster played the final 17 minutes and 13 seconds of the second half with four fouls.
Galvan, in only 23 minutes, finished with eight points, four rebounds, nine blocks, one assist and one steal. Additionally, she now has 91 blocks in 16 games played. In four career games against Cincinnati State, Galvan has 38 blocks in 77 minutes.
McLemore led Cincinnati State with 20 points, 10 rebounds and two steals, while Fischer had 17 points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists. Dede Henry also had 17 points, while Dillingham had 11 points, seven rebounds, three steals and one block. Frazier had nine points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
The Express shot 30-for-70 overall and 5-for-12 from three point range. Cincinnati State shot 32-for-86 overall and 3-for-17 from three point range.
Owens is now 17-4 overall and 3-1 in the OCCAC, while Cincinnati State is 17-0 and 3-0 in the OCCAC. The Express will next see action this coming Wednesday on the road against Lakeland CC in Kirtland, OH beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Number 9 Ranked Columbus State Men's Basketball Goes on the Road to Sinclair and Knock of the Tartan PrideNo 9 Ranked Columbus State Cougar men's basketball team traveled to Sinclair on Saturday and knocked off the Tartan Pride by a convincing score of 109-88. With the victory, Columbus State advances to 3 -1 in conference play and takes sole possession of the league lead.
Leading the Cougars were Glenn Cosey with 25 points, Darnell Tubbs and Mo Conde each with with 21 points, Geroge Harper with 17 points and Brock Turson adding 10 points.
Columbus State will face the tough Cincinnati State team on the road on Wednesday Jan 25th. Cincinnati State knocked off Owens on the road today as well. Tip-off for this game will be at 7:30 on the Cincinnati State campus.
Wednesday, January 18
No. 9 Columbus State Men's Basketball (16-2/2-1) Edge No. 7 Lakeland (14-3/1-1) In Top-10 Matchup
In a back and forth game that lived up to its billing as the NJCAA “Game of the Week,” No. 9 Columbus State narrowly escaped the Athletic & Fitness Center with a 76-75 win over No. 7 Lakeland. Trailing by one with less than eight seconds to go, Lakeland inbounded the ball to freshman forward Richard Smith (Cleveland, Ohio / Lutheran East), who’s jumper touched every inch of the rim before falling off in the final seconds. With the setback, the Lakers stall at 14-3 overall and suffer their first conference loss of the season (1-1).
Wednesday night’s matchup featured five lead changes, with neither side gaining more than an eight point advantage. The hosts clung to a one point lead at the break (37-36) before being narrowly outscored by the visitors 40-38 over the final 20 minutes of play.
Trailing by four with less than a minute to play, Brendan Cooper (Parma, Ohio / Parma) tipped in his own shot to cut the lead in half. On the ensuing inbounds play Cooper stole the ball at midcourt and was fouled driving to the hoop, giving the sophomore forward a chance to tie the game at the charity stripe. Cooper made the first but missed the second, only to see the ball deflect off a Columbus State player out of bounds.
With 10 seconds remaining Cooper’s jumper hit front iron and landed in a scrum for the jump ball which allowed Lakeland to keep possession. Seconds later, Smith’s potential game winner came up just short.
Cooper finished with a game-high 28 points to go along with seven rebounds and six steals. Freshman Deran Banton (Jamaica Queens, N.Y.) chipped in with 13 points while freshman Chaz Rollins (Warrensville Heights, Ohio / John Hay) had 14.
The Lakers return to action on Sunday (Jan. 22) when they host Lourdes College at 1:00 pm in non-conference matchup.
Final Six Minutes Doom Owens Express Men (15-6/2-1) In 76-63 Loss To Cuyahoga
The Express men's basketball team suffered their first defeat in OCCAC play with a 76-63 loss to Cuyahoga Community College in the SHAC tonight.
Cuyahoga out-rebounded the Express 47 to 27 overall and 12 to 11 on the offensive glass. Additionally, they made 25 of 35 from the foul line compared to 8-for-15 for Owens. Cuyahoga's bench also outscored Owens 28 to 14.
Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, MI) led the Express in scoring with 16, while James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, MI) had 13 points and six rebounds. Jordan Basinger (Kalida/Kalida, OH), Taronta Cole (Gulfport/Gulfport, MS) and Jay Marquette (Central Catholic/Rossford, OH) each had eight points, while Basinger led the team in rebounds with seven and steals with four.
Overall, Cuyahoga shot 25-for-47 from the field including 1-for-9 from three point range, while the Express shot 24-for-66 overall and 7-for-24 from three point range.
Jamil Brooks and David Goodwater led Cuyahoga in scoring with 20 apiece, while Darrell Robinson had 18 points. Robinson shot 10-for-10 from the foul line, while adding seven rebounds and four assists.
The Express had a six point lead with 16:32 remaining in the first half, but Cuyahoga led most of the half as the Challengers took a 34-25 into the half. Cuyahoga stretched the lead to 16 with 8:08 remaining in the second half before the Express made a run to take a 55-54 lead with 6:13 remaining. Cuyahoga, however, closed the game on a 22-9 run to get the victory.
The Express (15-6 overall, 2-1 OCCAC) will next play Saturday in the SHAC against Cincinnati State at 3 p.m.
Hall Makes History As The No. 8 Express Women (17-3/3-0) Defeat Cuyahoga 72-56, Set Up Showdown With No. 2 Cincinnati State
The No. 8 Express women's basketball team overcame a sluggish start, led Cuyahoga by 17 at the half, and cruised to a 72-56 win in the SHAC tonight while Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, OH) made history.
The sophomore forward became only the 10th Express women's basketball player to eclipse the 800 career point mark as she finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in 28 minutes. She was 7-for-14 from the field and 8-for-10 from the foul line. The one three pointer she made came late in the second half and pushed her past Tammy Murphy's 795 point mark and into 10th place on the career scoring list. She now has 803 points.
Aside from Hall, Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, OH) had 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and four steals, while Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, OH) had a nice game with 10 points, five rebounds and five blocks.
Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, OH) gave another all-around performance with eight points, three rebounds, six assists and five steals.
Owens shot 26-for-61 overall including 5-for-12 from three point range, while Cuyahoga shot 21-for-66 overall including an 0-for-6 performance from the three point line. Additionally, Owens shot 15-for-19 from the foul line, while Cuyahoga shot just 14-for-23.
The Express were outrebounded by Cuyahoga 44 to 42 overall (23 to 16 on the offensive glass), and had more turnovers (25 to 24), but had higher totals in assists (21 to 12), blocks (7 to 6), steals (15 to 12), points in the paint (34 to 32), points off turnovers (25 to 24), second chance points (9 to 7) and bench points (22 to 18).
The score was tied three times and the lead changed twice. Owens held their largest lead of 22 with 4:46 remaining in the first half, while Cuyahoga had their only lead with 17:11 remaining in the first half at two points.
Cuyahoga was led by Jene'A Purdue and Danielle Williams. Purdue had 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block, while Williams had 12 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two assists. Wyanna Leygion added nine points and eight rebounds.
The No. 8 Express (17-3, 3-0 OCCAC) will now take on No. 2 Cincinnati State (16-0, 2-0 OCCAC) on Saturday in the SHAC beginning at 1 p.m.
Cincinnati State Men (15-0/1-0) Earn First Conference Victory on Road at Edison Community College
The Cincinnati State men's basketball team won its first conference game of the season on the road against Edison Community College by a score of 82 to 68.
Early in the game, the Surge found themselves down 11 to 3 before the coaching staff took their first full timeout. After the timeout, the Surge stepped up their defensive pressure and did not look back as the team jumped to an 8 point lead earning a 46 to 38 advantage into halftime.
Midway through the second half, the Surge extended their lead to 15 led by the shooting of sophomores Charles Clarke, Marquis Wilson, Anton Hutchins and Karriem Baker. Clarke finished with a game high 19 points. Wilson finished with 17 points and 6 assists. Hutchins finished with 16 points and led the way defensively with 4 steals while Karriem Baker finished with 11 points. All four players shot 50% or better from the floor as the Surge pulled away to the 14 point victory.
Improving to 12-4 overall with a 1-1 conference record, the Surge will return to action on the road against Owens Community College on Saturday, January 21st.
No 2 Ranked Lady Surge Stay Perfect Overall and Improve to 2-0 in Conference Play With Win Over Edison
The Cincinnati State women's basketball team beat the Edison Community College Chargers by a score of 83 to 64.
Playing on the road, Edison tested Cincinnati State early on as each team traded buckets throughout the first half. The Surge's Allayah Craighead provided a spark off the bench scoring 12 first half points. Guard Dominique Fischer hit a three pointer before time expired to give Cincinnati State a 2-point lead going into the break.
The Surge hit their stride in the second half. Led by Fischer with 11 second half points, 9 points from Asia Dillingham and 8 points from Kara McLemore, Cincinnati State made a run and never looked backed as they cruised to a comfortable 83 to 64 victory. Fischer led all scorers with 21 points to go along with 5 assists. Center Taylor Frazier recorded an impressive 5 blocks to go with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 6 steals. Craighead scored 18 points in the victory.
With the win, Cincinnati State is now 16-0 on the season and 2-0 in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference.
The Surge, who are currently ranked no. 2 in the NJCAA polls, will return to action on Saturday, January 21st on the road against Owens Community College.
Sinclair Women's Basketball (9-6/0-1) Rebounds Against OSU - Lima
Sinclair Women’s basketball looked to rebound from last week’s tough loss to Owens, put together a game that helped them move forward. Ohio State University – Lima came to town and The Lady Pride raced to a halftime lead and never looked back! Playing a pressure defense, The Pride built a 37-18 halftime lead.
Sinclair picked up the pace shooting 52% from the floor and won going away, 79-35.
Leading the way for Sinclair were two players with double-doubles, Brandi McDaniel (Sophomore, Franklin H.S.) with 18 points and 10 rebounds and Danielle Forrer (Sophomore, Troy Christian H.S.) with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Lady Pride improved to 9-6 overall and stand at 0-1 in OCCAC play.
Sinclair’s next home game will be on Saturday, January 28, as both Men and Women play OCCAC opponent Lakeland College from the Cleveland area.
Game Time on Saturday will be 2:00 PM. The games will be played at the downtown campus in Building 8.
Sinclair Men's Basketball (12-6/0-1) Downs OSU - Lima
Sinclair Men’s basketball decided to get back to old ways – score a bunch of points. Facing Ohio State–Lima, The Tartan Pride put together a good first half of basketball shooting 49 percent from the field and taking a 46-32 advantage at the end of 20 minutes.
Sinclair cooled off a bit in the second half and had a couple more turnovers than Head Coach Jeff Price wanted but in the end, The Pride came out on top by a score of 95-70.
Leading the way for Sinclair was Charlie Byers (Freshmen from Moeller H.S.) who achieved his first triple-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 17 assists. Also playing key roles in tonight’s victory were Deon Banks (Sophomore, Warren Central H.S) with a double-double; 10 points and 15 rebounds and Jabriel Coaston (Freshmen, Roger Bacon H.S.) with 20 points to lead all scorers. And Freshmen Gavin Schuman out of Roger Bacon High School added 18 points. A total team effort by The Pride tonight. The Tartan Pride improved to 12-6 overall and stand at 0-1 in OCCAC play.
Sinclair’s next home game will be on Saturday, January 28, as both Men and Women play OCCAC opponent Lakeland College from the Cleveland area.
Game Time on Saturday will be 2:00 PM. The games will be played at the downtown campus in Building 8.
Sunday, January 15
Sinclair Women's Basketball (8-6/0-1) Lose at Home to Owens
The Pride opened conference play Saturday night as visiting Owens (16-3/2-0) beat Sinclair in the first OCCAC game of the year.
Owens jumped out early on Sinclair as both teams struggled to find the range from the 3pt arc going 1 for 9 (11.1%) respectively. The Express posted a 33-24 half time margin only to see the Pride cut the lead all the way down to one possession in the second half.
Owens was able to regroup and push the lead back up to double figures as the Express finished the game with their largest lead of the game 73-54.
Leading the way for the Pride with a team high 16 points and 6 assist was Sophomore Daniel Forrer (SO/Troy Christian H.S.) and joining Daniel with 16 points and 7 rebounds, Brandi McDaniel (SO/Franklin H.S.).
Sinclair will host Ohio State University-Lima on Wednesday January 18th. All home games are played in Building 8 on the Downtown Dayton Campus.
Sinclair Men’s Basketball (11-6/0-1) drop conference opener to Owens (15-5/2-0) 70-84
Sinclair celebrated the homecoming of former Sinclair Men’s Basketball standout from the 1979-80 season as well as the Former Undisputed World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, James “Buster” Douglas on Saturday afternoon by hosting OCCAC rival Owens CC. Buster Douglas earned All-Conference honors on his way to being the team’s leading scorer and leading rebounder as well as being named the team’s MVP. After Sinclair, Douglas would go on to join the ranks of the boxing world and on February 11, 1990 in Tokyo, Japan he would shock the world with a tenth round knockout of then Champ Mike Tyson.
Presenting the #44 jersey; Jack Giambrone (Athletic Director), Coach Jeff Price (Men’s Basketball Coach), Buster Douglas, Coach Kevin O’Neill (Former Sinclair Basketball Coach).
Sinclair jumped out quick as the Pride took an early 10-4 lead on the Express. The Express called an early time out try to stem the Pride energy. Owens was able to get back into the game at the hands of Justin Edmonds as he knocked down three consecutive 3 point shots to put the Express back in the lead. From that point on, both teams would exchange the lead 3 more times before Owens would make a final run to go up 6 (45-39) at half.
Coming out of halftime, both teams went ice cold from the 3 point line as Owens connected just 1 of 7 attempts and Sinclair on 1 of 9. Both teams seemed to have trouble keeping possession of the ball as Owens committed 12 second half turnovers and Sinclair 9. Given the poor shooting from the 3 point arc and the 9 second half turnovers, the Pride was within 5 points at the 5 minute mark when Justin Edmonds of Owens fouled out. Sinclair was unable to capitalize down the stretch as the Pride only converted on 3 of their last 10 possessions.
Leading Sinclair with 21 points, Freshman Point Guard Charlie Byers (5-10/Cincinnati Moeller H.S.), Sophomore Forward Jonathan Bibbs (6-4/Chaminade Julienne H.S.) 18 points and 8 rebounds and Freshman Guard Gavin Schumann (6-1/Cincinnati Roger Bacon H.S.) with 18 points and 4 assist.
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Sinclair continues the home stand this Wednesday as the Pride will take on Ohio State University-Lima at 7:30pm. All home games are played in Building 8 on the Downtown Dayton Campus.
Ricketts and Scott Lead No. 10 Express Women (16-3/2-0) over Sinclair 73-54
The No. 10 Express women’s basketball team got double-doubles from Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, OH) and Karahn Scott (Scott/Toledo, OH) to secure a 73-54 win over Sinclair Community College on the road Saturday afternoon.
Sinclair kept the game reasonably close as they were within eight points with 6:57 left, but Owens took control from there and held their largest lead of 20 with just less than a minute remaining.
Ricketts bounced back from her worst game of the season to lead the Express with 18 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and one block. She finished 8-for-19 from the field, 2-for-2 from the foul line, and six of her rebounds came on the offensive end. In her previous game, Ricketts finished with only three points, which was only the second time she has scored in single digits this season.
Scott also had six offensive rebounds en route to totals of 13 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and one assist. Overall, the Express out-produced Sinclair 24 to 15 on the offensive glass.
Owens led 33-24 at the half. They shot 14-for-33 overall in the first half, 1-for-9 from three point range and 4-for-4 from the foul line. In the second half, the Express struggled a little offensively (15-for-43 overall, 0-for-6 from three point range and 10-for-13 from the foul line), but maintained control of the game with their 49 to 38 overall rebounding average.
Hitting the glass produced a 48 to 26 advantage in paint points and a 23 to 13 advantage in second chance points for the Express, who also had advantages in turnovers (12 to 21), steals (14 to 1), points off turnovers (22 to 9) and bench points (18 to 8).
Overall, the Express shot 29-for-76 from the field, 1-for-15 from three point range and 14-for-17 from the foul line. Sinclair finished 22-for-58 overall, 4-for-16 from three point range and 6-for-13 from the foul line.
Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, OH) added 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks for the Express, while Uniqua Mitchell had nine points, five rebounds, one steal and one block.
Meanwhile, Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, OH) had her worst game statistically of the season as she finished with five points, eight rebounds, two assists and one block in 27 minutes. The Express turned the ball over only 12 times, but six of those came from Hall.
The Express overcame that, however, to move to 16-3 overall and 2-0 in the OCCAC. Sinclair falls to 8-6 overall and 0-1 in the OCCAC.
Sinclair was led by 16 points, seven assists, and six rebounds from Danielle Forrer, while Brandi McDaniel added 13 points and India Taste had 10 points. McDaniel and Taste each added seven points.
The Express will next play Wednesday at home against Cuyahoga Community College in the SHAC at 5:30 p.m.
Kelly's 21 Points, 12 Rebounds Lead Owens Express Men (15-5/2-0) To 84-70 Win Over Sinclair
The Express men's basketball team continued its fine turnaround season and remained perfect in the OCCAC with an 84-70 win over Sinclair Community College on Saturday afternoon.
Freshman forward James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, MI) led the Express with 21 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, two blocks and one assist. In the first half alone, he had 19 points, five rebounds, two steals and one block. Kelly finished the game 10-for-23 from the field in 32 minutes.
Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, MI), a freshman guard, scored nine points in each half and finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block before fouling out with 5:18 remaining.
A back-and-forth first half saw five ties and five lead changes until the Express took control with about 12 minutes remaining. Owens then took a 45-39 lead into the locker room. In the half, the Express shot 18-for-41 overall, 5-for-15 from three point range and 4-for-6 from the foul line. Sinclair shot 13-for-30 overall, 1-for-5 from three point range and 12-for-13 from the foul line in the first half.
The Express then led throughout the second half as Sinclair didn't get any closer than three with 15:51 remaining. Second half shooting totals for the Express were 14-for-31 overall, 1-for-7 from three point range and 10-for-13 from the foul line. Sinclair shot 11-for-35 overall in the second half, 1-for-12 from three point range and 8-for-9 from the foul line.
Overall, the Express shot 32-for-72 from the field, 6-for-22 from three point range, and 14-for-19 from the foul line. Sinclair finished 24-for-65 overall, 2-for-17 from three point range and 20-for-22 from the foul line.
Owens held a strong advantage in rebounding with a 51 to 36 edge, including a 17 to 9 advantage on the offensive glass. Other advantages for the Express included: assists (20-10), blocks (4-1), points in the paint (40-32), points off turnovers (19-17), second chance points (18-12), and bench points (28-2). The two teams had an equal amount of turnovers (23) and steals (11).
Sinclair's largest lead was four with 16:59 remaining in the first half, while the largest lead for the Express was 16 with 22 seconds remaining in the game.
Aside from Kelly and Edmonds, Jeff Burroughs (Belleville/Ypsilanti, MI) had 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and one steal, while Jerron Jamerson (Washington/South Bend, IN) had 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and one block. Jordan Basinger (Kalida/Kalida, OH) added 10 rebounds, four points, three assists and one steal in 17 minutes off the bench.
Sinclair was led by Charlie Byers, who finished with 21 points, four steals and three assists. Gavin Schumann and Jonathan Bibbs each chipped in 18 points, while Bibbs had seven rebounds and Schumann had three assists and three steals. Trent Maddox added 10 rebounds.
The Express (15-5 overall, 2-0 OCCAC) will next play Wednesday at home against Cuyahoga Community College in the SHAC at 7:30 p.m. Sinclair falls to 11-6 overall and 0-1 in the OCCAC.
Lakeland Laker Men's Basketball (14-2/1-0) Knocks off Cincinnati State on the Road
The 12th ranked Lakeland Lakers Men's Basketball team opened conference play today on the road and defeated Cincinnati State by a score of 81-73 to improve to 14-2 overall and 1-0 in the OCCAC.
The Lakers behind Chaz Rollins (John Hay) had 17 points and 10 rebounds led by the score of 48-25 at the break. Brenden Cooper (Parma, Ohio) added 15 points and 15 rebounds.
The Lakers forced 23 turnovers and shot 56% from field.
Number 7 Ranked Columbus State Men's Basketball Takes Out Cuyahoga by the Score of 82-69
No 7 Ranked Columbus State Cougar men's basketball team was able to get back on the winning track by defeating Cuyahoga Community College by the score of 82-69. With the victory, Columbus State advances to 1-1 in the young conference season.
Leading the Cougars were Darnell Tubbs with 21 points, Glenn Cosey with 15 points, Brook Turson, Dimitri Aber, and Geroge Harper each has 10 points putting the team with 5 players in double figures for scoring.
Columbus State will next face the tough Lakeland Laker team on the road on Jan 18. Lakeland knocked off Cincinnati State in a battle on Saturday night. This game will be the national junior college game of the week.
No. 2 Ranked Cincinnati State Women (15-0/1-0) Earn First Conference Win Against Lakeland; Men (11-4/0-1) Lose to Lakeland
In the first Ohio Community College Athletic Conference matchups of the season, the Cincinnati State women's basketball team beat Lakeland Community College by a score of 83 to 49. The men's team, which also played Lakeland, lost 81 to 73.
Leading the women to victory was sophomore guard Dominique Fischer who scored 23 points and recorded 6 steals defensively. Cincinnati State's bench scored a combined 40 points led by Allayah Craighead with 14 points and Brittiney Latimer with 11. Taylor Frazier finished with 11 points and 16 rebounds which marked her 8th double-double of the season. With the win, the Surge continue to stay perfect at 15-0 with a 1-0 record in the conference. The Surge, who are ranked no.2 in the NJCAA polls, will return to action on the road against Edison Community College on Wednesday, January 18th.
Although in a losing effort, the Cincinnati State men's basketball team nearly came back from a 28 point second half deficit, closing the margin to 6 points with 3 minutes left in the game. Guard Marquis Wilson brought the Surge back with 21 second half points while totaling 24 points for the game. Anton Hutchins finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Karriem Baker finished with 11 points and 17 rebounds in the loss. Four of five Lakeland's starters scored in double-digits led by Chaz Rollins with 17 points and 10 rebounds. For the Surge, free throws would cut the comeback short as the team failed to shoot 50% from the line which included key misses down the stretch. Now at 11-4 on the year with an 0-1 conference record, the men's program will also return to action against Edison Community College on January 18th.
Thursday, January 12
Cincinnati State Men (11-3/0-0) and Women (14-0/0-0) Win Decisively on Thursday Night
The Cincinnati State men's basketball team earned its 11th victory of the season at home on Thursday night while the women's team earned their 14th victory on the road.
The men's team improved to 11-3 on the season with a 90 to 53 win over ABCD Prep (TX). Marquis Wilson came off the bench to lead all scorers with 24 points to go along with 5 assists and 5 steals. Anton Hutchins, Cody Martin and D'Wayne Bazemore each had 10 points in the 37 point blowout win. The Surge will return to action this Saturday in the first conference matchup of the year against Lakeland at home starting at 3:00 PM.
Coming off a three week break in between games, the women's program traveled to Columbus to take on the club team of The Ohio State University. The Lady Surge, who are now ranked no. 2 in the most recent NJCAA polls, cruised to a 67 to 46 victory. With the win, the Lady Surge continue to stay perfect at 14-0 heading into Saturday's conference opener which is also against Lakeland with the scheduled start time slated for 1:00 PM.
Wednesday, January 11
King Guides Lakeland Women (9-6/0-0) to Big Win Over Niagara County
Sophomore Diminika King (Pittsburgh, Pa.) recorded a triple-double with 25 points, 23 rebounds, and a school-record 12 blocks as the Lakeland women's basketball team opened the New Year with a decisive 89-34 victory over visiting Niagara County on Tuesday night.
Freshman guard Kirsten Holmes (Cleveland, Ohio / Solon) scored 22 points in her first game of the year while classmate Alyssa Ronyac (Burton, Ohio / Berkshire) added 11. Holmes was one rebound shy of a double-double in her Lakeland debut.
Sophomore guard Ginny Sanchez (Daytona, Fla.) and freshman guard Emily Brainard (Perry, Ohio / Perry) each tied a career-high with 11 and seven assists, respectively. Brainard added eight points in the win.
Lakeland (9-6) will look to carry the momentum in Saturday's OCCAC opener at Cincinnati State (1:00 p.m.). The Surge (11-0) are ranked No. 3 in the nation according to the latest NJCAA poll.
King picked up her 10 th block, which ensured the triple-double, with 17 minutes remaining in the second half. For the year, the center is averaging just over 22 points and 16 rebounds per game. Through the first 13 games of the season King ranks eighth in the nation in scoring and second in rebounding.
No. 12 Lakeland Men's Basketball (13-2/0-0) Stay Perfect at Home
The nationally-ranked Lakeland men's basketball team shot 62% from the floor in the opening half and cruised to a 91-57 victory over visiting Niagara County in its first game of 2012. Freshman Chaz Rollins (Warrensville Heights, Ohio / John Hay) paced the Lakers with 23 points and eight rebounds.
Sophomore Brendan Cooper (Parma, Ohio / Parma) flirted with a triple-double and finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in the win.
In total, Lakeland put five players in double figures. Freshman Deran Banton (Jamaica, N.Y.) scored 12 while classmates Daishon Robinson (Woodbridge, N.J.) and Martell Medley (Cleveland, Ohio / Euclid) added 13 and 10, respectively, off the bench.
Freshman Richard Smith (Cleveland, Ohio / Lutheran East) paced the defensive effort with a career-high six blocks in 21 minutes.
LCC hit 18 of 29 attempts from the floor in the opening 20 minutes to take a commanding 39-19 lead into the break.
Lakeland improved to 8-0 at home and enters conference play at 13-2 overall. The Lakers travel to Cincinnati State on Saturday for a 3:00 p.m. game before returning to AFC on Wednesday (Jan. 18) for a top-15 showdown with No. 7 Columbus State.
Mitchell's Double-Double Paces No. 10 Express Women (15-3/1-0) Over OSU Club
The No. 10 Express women's basketball team defeated Ohio State University's club team 69-43 in the SHAC tonight behind the play of Uniqua Mitchell (MLK/Detroit, MI).
Mitchell led the team in scoring with 19 and rebounding with 12, while adding four assists, one block and one steal. The freshman point guard went 7-for-10 from the field overall and 5-for-7 from the three point line.
Thanks to Mitchell and others, the Express held a strong advantage on the glass (59 to 38). Karahn Scott (Scott/Toledo, OH) and Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, OH) had nine rebounds apiece, while Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, OH) and Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, OH) had six rebounds apiece.
Foster had a solid all-around game as she finished with four points, a team-high seven assists, a team-high four steals, and two blocks to go with her nine rebounds.
Hall scored 12 points, had two assists, one block and one steal. She now has 775 career points and passed Unique Lane (768) for 11th place on the career scoring list. Next up is Bridget Buss, who had 779 points.
The game marked the first time Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, OH) did not have any blocks in a game this season. The nation's leading shot blocker played 11 minutes and finished with two points and two rebounds.
Owens shot 28-for-72 from the field including a 7-for-17 performance from the three point line, and a 6-for-9 finish from the foul line. Meanwhile, OSU Club shot 18-for-66 overall, 2-for-18 from three point range and 5-for-9 from the foul line.
The Express had more assists (20 to 13), steals (15 to 11), points in the paint (40 to 22), points off turnovers (13 to 10), second chance points (11 to 5), and bench points (29 to 9). Meanwhile, OSU had less turnovers (20 to 24) and more blocks (8 to 5).
The Express outscored OSU Club 33 to 17 in the first half and 36 to 26 in the second half.
Prior to tonight's game, the Express moved up two spots in the NJCAA Div. II poll from No. 12 to No. 10. They are now 15-3 overall and 1-0 in the OCCAC. They will take on Sinclair Community College on the road this Saturday Jan. 14 beginning at 1 p.m.
Burroughs Pours in 24 to Lead Express Men (15-5/1-0) Over Ohio State Club 86-44
Jeff Burroughs (Belleville/Ypsilanti, MI) scored 24 points in 24 minutes to lead the Owens Express men's basketball team to an 86-44 win over Ohio State University's club team tonight.
Burroughs hit four three-pointers early in the first half en route to 19 in the half. He finished 8-for-13 from the field overall, 4-for-6 from three point range, and 4-for-5 from the foul line. He totaled six rebounds and one steal in addition to his point total.
In the second half, the Express held OSU without a field goal or points until the 14:43 mark. During that time, Owens went on a 21-0 run to stretch a 41-29 halftime lead to a 33 point lead.
Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, MI) was second in scoring with 13 points, while adding three rebounds, one assist and two steals. James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, MI) was limited n the first half due to foul trouble, but still finished with 11 points, three blocks and three steals in 15 minutes.
The Express had two balanced halves offensively as they went 13-for-28 overall from the field in the first half and 13-for-27 in the second half to finish 26-for-55 (47.3 percent) overall. They hit 10-for-29 from three point range and 24-for-31 from the free throw line. Meanwhile, Ohio State shot 17-for-52 overall from the field, 7-for-26 from three point range and 3-for-12 from the foul line.
The Express out-rebounded OSU 40 to 29, while also holding advantages in assists (16 to 11), turnovers (13 to 25), blocks (7 to 0), steals (16 to 7), paint points (24 to 18), points off turnovers (38 to 6), second chance points (15 to 11) and bench points (33 to 24).
Owens (14-5, 1-0 OCCAC) will take on Sinclair CC this Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. in Dayton, OH.
Tuesday, January 10
Buster Douglas Day Coming To Sinclair
Buster Douglas, a former Sinclair student athlete (Men’s basketball) and former Heavyweight Champion of the World (Boxing) will receive his old basketball jersey in a ceremony this coming Saturday 1/14.
The will be a presentation presentation between the men's and women's games and should be approximately 3:15 PM.
James "Buster" Douglas is a former undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion who scored a stunning upset when he knocked out previously undefeated champion Mike Tyson on February 11, 1990 in Tokyo, Japan. At the time, Tyson was considered to be the best boxer in the world and one of the most feared heavyweight champions in history due to his utter domination of the division. The Mirage Casino in Las Vegas, the only Las Vegas casino to make odds on the fight, had Douglas as a 42 to 1 underdog for the fight.
Saturday, January 7
Owens Men's Basketball (13-5/1-0) Upset No. 4 Columbus State (14-2/0-1) 65-60 in the SHAC
The Express men's basketball team set a new school record and got strong play from Jeff Burroughs (Belleville/Ypsilanti, Mich.) and Jay Marquette (Central Catholic/Rossford, Ohio) to upset No. 4 Columbus State 65-60 in the SHAC today.
While they didn't lead the team in scoring, Burroughs and Marquette had solid all-around games. Burroughs finished with 10 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals, while Marquette had 11 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three blocks and three steals.
Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, Mich.) struggled from the field for the second straight game, but led the team in scoring with 14 points, while adding six rebounds and one assist. James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.) had a couple monstrous dunks in the second half, including a one hander on an assist from Jerron Jamerson (Washington/South Bend, Ind.). Kelly finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, one assist and one steal.
Team leaders for the Express were: Edmonds in points with 17, Marquette in rebounds with 9, Burroughs in assists with 6, Kelly and Marquette in blocks with 3, and Burroughs in steals with 4.
Meanwhile, Darnell Tubbs and Glenn Cosey led the Cougars, despite both struggling from the field. Tubbs had 17 points, seven rebounds, six steals and three assists, while Cosey had 16 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and one assist. The two of them combined to shoot only 13-for-42 overall from the field and 2-for-11 from three point range. Nobody else hit double figures for Columbus State, although Mohamed Conde had nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Statistically, the game was odd. Columbus State outrebounded the Express 49 to 44, had more points in the paint at 28 to 16, and had more second chance points at 15 to 7 - and they lost. Offsetting those numbers was an advantage at the three point line for the Express (7-for-25 to 2-for-12) and an outstanding free throw performance (20-for-22). The 90.9 free throw percentage breaks an almost 21 year old school record for best free throw percentage as a team in a game. The old mark was set on Feb. 13, 1991 against Edison State at 18-for-20 (90 percent).
The Express did not score a field goal over the final 5:47 of the game, but hit 9 of 10 from the line down the stretch to seal it. Owens led 36-31 at halftime despite holding a 17 point lead with 7:26 remaining in the first half and each team scored 29 points in the second half. There were three ties and one lead change in the game. The only time Columbus State led was 2-0 at the 19:46 mark of the first half.
Columbus State shot 23-for-69 (33.3 percent) overall from the field and 12-for-23 (52.2 percent) from the foul line, while the Express shot 19-for-65 (29.2 percent) overall.
Owens is now 13-5 overall and 1-0 in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference, while No. 4 Columbus State falls to 14-2 overall and 0-1 in the OCCAC.
No. 12 Owens Women (14-3/1-0) Defeat Columbus State (11-4/0-1) in OCCAC Opener at Home
The No. 12 Express women's basketball team, buoyed by the return of two of the nation's best players, stomped Columbus State Community College 94-55 in the SHAC today.
Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, Ohio), the team's leading scorer and the nation's 13th best scorer, and Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, Ohio), the nation's top shot blocker, both returned to action after missing time. Hall has been out the previous two games, while Galvan had missed the previous five games.
Hall came off the bench to lead the team in scoring with 21 points, while adding 12 rebounds and one assist. Since coming off the bench, Hall has drastically improved her free throw shooting. As a starter, she is 32-for-56, while as a reserve, she is 33-for-42. Additionally, the sophomore now has 763 career points, which is good for 12th place on the career scoring list. She needs 17 more points to crack the top ten. Heading into the season, she held the national mark for most blocks in one game with 11. She has broken that twice this year with two games of 12 apiece.
Galvan had seven blocks to push her season total to 76 in 12 games played, while adding two points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals. With 14 guaranteed team games remaining, the sophomore center sits 52 blocks short of the single season block record and 70 blocks short of the career record.
The best overall game for the Express may have came from sophomore point guard Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, Ohio), who finished with six points, a team-high 14 rebounds, a team-high nine assists, and one steal. It was her second 14 rebound game of the season.
Other top performers included: freshman point guard Uniqua Mitchell (Martin Luther King/Detroit, Mich.) with 15 points, two rebounds, three assists and three blocks; freshman forward Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, Ohio) with 12 points, four rebounds and one assist; freshman guard Mackenzie Heacock (Arlington/Arlington, Ohio) with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal; freshman guard Alyssa Lassey (Ida/Ida, Mich.) with 10 points, two rebounds, three assists and a team-high five steals; and freshman forward Karahn Scott (Scott/Toledo, Ohio) with nine points, eight rebounds and one assist.
As a team, the Express shot extremely well from the field as they finished 32-for-67 (47.8 percent) overall from the field, 11-for-16 (68.8 percent) from three point range and 19-for-23 (82.6 percent) from the foul line. Their three point field goal percentage sets a new school record for best in a game as a team. It broke the old mark of 6-for-9 (66.7 percent) set on Dec. 7, 1997 and their free throw percentage was a season high.
Meanwhile, Columbus State shot a dismal 19-for-80 overall (23.8 percent) from the field, 7-for-30 (23.3 percent) from three point range and 10-for-13 (76.9 percent) from the foul line. The Cougars were led by Chelsie Damron, who had 10 points and four assists, while Katie Stevens had a nice all-around game with eight points, four rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. Karis Watts led the Cougars in steals with four.
Owens held advantages in rebounds (63 to 35), assists (27 to 14), blocks (10 to 4), steals (11 to 10), points in the paint (36 to 20), points off turnovers (22 to 18), and bench points (42 to 19). The Express never trailed in the game and held their largest lead of 42 with 3:17 remaining in the game.
Since beginning their twice annual OCCAC matchup, Owens has owned Columbus State. They have never lost at home (18-0) and are 31-4 overall in the series.
The Express are now 14-3 overall and 1-0 in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference, while Columbus State falls to 11-4 overall and 0-1 in the OCCAC.
Owens is back in action this coming Wednesday Jan. 11 in the SHAC as they take on The Ohio State University club team beginning at 5:30 p.m. The game is the first half of a doubleheader as the men will play at 7:30 p.m.
Cincinnati State Men's Basketball (10-3/0-0) drop Game on the Road to Darby College
In a low scoring contest, the Cincinnati State men's basketball team lost 50 to 54 on the road to Daley College (Chicago).
For the Cincinnati State Surge, who beat Daley College earlier in the season, the 50 points scored marked the lowest offensive output of the 2011-2012 season.
Now with a record of 10-3 overall, the Surge will look to bounce back at home against ABCD Prep on Wednesday, January 11th followed by the opening night of conference play on Saturday, January 14th against Lakeland Community College.
Friday, January 6, 2012
NOTE: Sinclair Men's Basketball (11-5/0-0) Game Rescheduled
The Men’s Basketball game between Sinclair and West Virginia Univ-Parkersburg scheduled for Saturday the 7th of January has been changed to Monday the 27th of February (5:30pm).
Cincinnati State Men's Basketball (10-2/0-0) Win On the Road
The Cincinnati State men's basketball team won their first game of the new year against Olive-Harvey College (Chicago) to improve to 10-2 on the season.
Freshman forward Devonte Brown led the way with his best game of his collegiate career going for 26 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore guard Marquis Wilson, who currently leads the NJCAA in steals, followed Brown with 20 points while leading the way defensively with 6 steals. Freshman forward Cody Martin recorded his 5th double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds as the Surge claimed an 85 to 71 victory.
Cincinnati State will complete their two game Chicago road trip tomorrow against Daley College before returning home on January 11th to face ABCD Prep.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Sinclair Men’s Basketball (11-5/0-0) opens 2012 with an 87-68 win over Clark State
Sinclair Men’s basketball celebrated the new year with a convincing 87-68 victory over local Clark State.
Sinclair jumped on the board first and continued to apply pressure to Clark State by pushing the ball in transition and getting to the free throw line. The Pride took a 44-27 margin into half on the heels of 55% shooting from the field and 50% shooting from the 3 point arc. Clark made several runs in the second half getting as close 12 only to have Sinclair counter with timely threes and easy transition baskets.
Leading Sinclair with his second double-doubles in as many games, Jonathan Bibbs (6-4/Chaminade Julienne H.S.) 16 points and 10 rebounds. Leading scorer for the game was Freshman Point Guard Charlie Byers (5-10/Cincinnati Moeller H.S.) with 24 points on 9 for 14 shooting from the field.
Sinclair continues the home stand this Saturday as the Pride will take on West Virginia University-Parkersburg at 4pm. All home games are played in Building 8 on the Downtown Dayton Campus.
Saturday, December 31
Foster leads No. 12 Owens Express Women (13-3/0-0) to Fifth Straight Win
The No. 12 Owens Express women's basketball team won their second straight game without their leading scorer, Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, Ohio), in a 74-44 win over Kirtland Community College Friday night.
The win marked the team's fifth consecutive overall and their third straight by exactly 30 points. Two of those three wins have now come by a 74-44 score. Hall (19.3 points per contest) missed her second consecutive game, while Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, Ohio), the nation's top shot blocker (6.3 per game), missed her fifth consecutive contest.
The Express jumped out to a 48-22 lead at the half. They only scored seven points in the first ten minutes of the second half, but had 19 in the second ten minutes. They held the Firebirds to 22 points in each half. The largest lead for the Express was 34 with 3:46 remaining in the second half.
Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, Ohio) produced season-highs in points, field goals made, field goal percentage, free throws made and steals to lead the Express. The sophomore point guard finished with 16 points as she went 5-for-7 from the field and 6-for-7 from the foul line. She also had three rebounds, tied for the team-high in assists with four, was second on the team in steals with six, and had a team-high two blocks.
Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, Ohio) and Uniqua Mitchell (Martin Luther King/Detroit, Mich.) each produced 12 points for the Express. Ricketts added three rebounds and four assists, while Mitchell added six rebounds and one steal.
Karahn Scott (Scott/Toledo, Ohio) was the fourth and final Owens player in double figures with 11. She also added a team-high nine rebounds (five offensive), three steals and one block. Ricketts, Foster and Danielle Bezeau (Swanton/Swanton, Ohio) each had four assists to lead the team. Bezeau added a team-high seven steals, as well, to go along with her six points and five rebounds.
Alyssa Lassey (Ida/Ida, Mich.) added season-highs in points (9), field goals made (4), and minutes (22). She added three assists and one rebound. Mackenzie Heacock (Arlington/Arlington, Ohio) had six points, seven rebounds, three assists and one steal.
Owens shot 29-for-61 (47.5 percent) overall from the field, 5-for-12 (41.7 percent) from three point range and 11-for-18 (61.1 percent) from the foul line. Kirtland shot 19-for-50 (38 percent) from the field overall, 5-for-19 (26.3 percent) from three point range and 1-for-2 (50 percent) from the foul line.
The Express outrebounded Kirtland 41 to 23, including a 16 to 4 advantage on the offensive glass. They also produced more assists (19 to 12), less turnovers (19 to 28), more blocks (3 to 2), more steals (18 to 6), more points in the paint (42 to 12), more points off turnovers (32 to 13), more second chance points (11 to 2) and more bench points (17 to 10).
Brooke Arnold led Kirtland (5-4) in scoring with 12 points. She was the only Firebird in double figures.
The Express (13-3) will next play on Jan. 7 against Columbus State Community College at 1 p.m. in the SHAC.
Owens Express Men's Basketball (12-5/0-0) Fall to Kirtland in Overtime on the Road
Despite the effort of James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.), the Owens Express men's basketball team couldn't stop a second half surge from Kirtland Community College in a 70-68 overtime loss Friday night.
Kelly had 25 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and one block. His totals helped the Express take a 36-19 lead into the half. However, after the Express stretched their lead to 22 with 15:46 remaining, Kirtland started chipping away. Down 46-24 at that point, Kirtland outscored Owens 40-18 to force overtime.
The Express had a chance to win it at the end of regulation, but they missed two shots in the final seconds. They also missed a final shot that would have tied it to end the game.
Three Firebirds keyed the comeback as John Edwards finished with 22 points, Dwayne Thurmond had 21, and Stavros Schizas had 20. Thurmond and Edwards played all 45 minutes, while Schizas played 43. Kirtland only had two other players register points as Artem Moskin added four and Oleg Donetskiy had three.
Aside from Kelly, Jeff Burroughs (Belleville/Ypsilanti, Mich.) had a solid game as he finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Franklin Lindsey (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) had six points and nine rebounds off the bench.
Kelly and Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, Mich.) entered the game as the top two scorers for the Express. Edmonds, however, struggled with his shot most of the game and finished with eight points on 2-for-17 shooting from the field including an 0-for-7 performance from three point range. He went 4-for-5 from the foul line, but the one miss came on the front end of a one and one late in the game.
Owens dominated most statistical categories as they shot a better percentage from the field (41.4 percent to 39 percent), had more rebounds (47 to 34), more assists (15 to 11), more points in the paint (42 to 26), more second chance points (14 to 6), and more bench points (16 to 3). However, Kirtland made more three pointers (7 to 4), while also making more free throws (6-for-10 for Owens compared to 17-for-26 for Kirtland).
Kirtland is now 9-1 this year, while Owens falls to 12-5. The next action for the Express will be against No. 4 Columbus State Community College on Jan. 7 at 3 p.m. in the SHAC. The game will mark the beginning of Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) play.
Columbus State Men's Basketball Win Pair, Move Record to 14-1/0-0
The Columbus State Cougar men's basketball team have quietly crept up the national rankings to the number 4 spot while defeating two opponents this week.
On Friday, the Cougars took on Delta Community College and defeated them by a score of 85 to 62. Leading Columbus State in scoring was Sophomore Glen Cosey with 20 points. Also scoring for the Cougars was Darnell Tubbs with 14, George Harper with 13 and Brook Turson with 12.
On Saturday, Columbus State traveled to the tough Mid-Michigan Community College (10-4) and defeated them by a score of 64-56 moving the Cougars to 14-1 on the year.
With the victories, this marks the third time in five years that Columbus State has entered the new year with only 1 loss.Columbus State returns to action on January 7th at 3:00 pm against Owens in Toledo to open up OCCAC play.
Wednesday, December 28
Sinclair Women’s Basketball (8-5) Wins at Home 65-52
The Pride returned to action after more than 10 days off during the break to host Ohio University-Chillicothe in a non-conference match up.
Sinclair opened up a double digit lead in the second half with hot shooting from behind the 3pt arc and easy transition baskets. Brandi McDaniel (SO/Franklin H.S.) posted a double-double with a game high 16 points and 11 rebounds. Joining Brandi with 16 points and 6 assist, Katie VonLehmden (SO/Fort Jennings H.S.). India Taste also posted a double-double with 10 points 12 rebounds.
Sinclair will open conference play Saturday January 14th at home against Owens. All home games are played in Building 8 on the Downtown Dayton Campus.
Sinclair Men’s Basketball (10-5/0-0) Holds on Against Ohio Univ-Chillicothe 90-87
Sinclair Men’s basketball returned home after being on the road for a month to take on the Hilltoppers of Ohio Univ-Chillicothe in a non-conference match up.
The Hilltoppers opened up the game with a quick 3 and didn’t look back as the visitors held a double figure lead most of the first half. The Pride started to mount a comeback at the mid mark of the second half and slowly chipped away at the OU-C lead. The Pride was able to pull within 4 with about 4 minutes to go and would eventually tie the game with less than 2 minutes remaining. Down 2 with less than 10 seconds, the Hilltoppers missed both free throws that would have tied the game. Sinclair was able to convert on the front end of the one and one to give the Pride a 90-87 victory.
Sinclair was lead with a pair double-doubles from Jonathan Bibbs (6-4/Chaminade Julienne H.S.) 22 points and 13 rebounds and Jabriel Coaston (6-5/Cincinnati Roger Bacon H.S.) with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Sinclair returns to action Wednesday night as the Pride take on the Clark State Community College. All home games are played in Building 8 on the Downtown Dayton Campus.
Wednesday, December 21
No. 12 Owens Express Women (12-3/0-0) Post Second Straight 30 Point Win
Despite missing two of their top players and having a so-so second half offensively, the No. 12 Owens Express women defeated Kellogg Community College 78-48 in the SHAC Wednesday night behind five players in double figures.
Owens played without their leading scorer Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, Ohio) and the nation's leading shot blocker Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, Ohio). It was the fourth straight game Galvan has missed, and the first that Hall has missed. Both may possibly be back for the team's next game.
Mackenzie Heacock (Arlington/Arlington, Ohio) scored 15 of her team-high 16 points in the first half as the Express opened up a 51-26 lead at the break. She finished the game 5-for-10 from the field, 3-for-3 from three point range, and 3-for-4 from the foul line and totaled 16 points, six rebounds, four steals, two assists and one block.
As a team, the Express started the game strong as they held leads of 6-0 and 18-3. Heacock scored the first six points for the Express.
Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, Ohio) and Uniqua Mitchell pitched in 15 points each. Ricketts added six rebounds and one steal, while Mitchell had eight rebounds, four blocks, three assists and one steal.
Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, Ohio) added 12 points, five assists, two steals and one rebound for the Express, while Karahn Scott (Scott/Toledo, Ohio) had 11 points and eight rebounds.
Five players had at least five rebounds for the Express, while four had at least three assists. Heacock and Alyssa Lassey (Ida/Ida, Mich.) had four steals to lead the team, while Lassey's six assists was a team-high. Mitchell and Scott tied for the team-high in rebounds with eight apiece. Mitchell led the team in blocked shots with four.
Overall, Owens shot 29-for-75 from the field, 5-for-19 from three point range and 15-for-19 from the foul line. Kellogg finished 21-for-68 overall, 2-for-8 from three point range and 4-for-6 from the foul line. The Express held advantages in points in the paint (42 to 28), points off turnovers (30 to 14), bench points (22 to 13), rebounds (51 to 39), assists (20 to 12), blocks (10 to 9) and steals (15 to 11). They also had less turnovers (20 to 28).
Samantha Krueger led the Bruins with 16 points, four rebounds, three steals, two blocks and one assist. Megan Parker had a strong second half defensively for the Bruins as she blocked all five of her shots in the half. Aside from Krueger, nobody else hit double figures for Kellogg.
The game marked the second night of a back-to-back for the Express, and they produced their second straight 30 point win. It was also their fourth consecutive win.
The Express (12-3) will now head into holiday break as their next action isn't until Dec. 30 when they travel to Roscommon, Mich. to take on Kirtland Community College at 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 20
Edmonds and Kelly Lead Owens Express Men (12-4/0-0) over Delta College on the Road
Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, Mich.) and James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.) led four in double figures as the Owens Express men’s basketball team earned a hard fought 85-75 win over Delta College on the road Tuesday night.
Edmonds came out on fire from three point range and finished 7-for-15 overall from the field, 5-for-9 from three point range and 2-for-3 from the foul line. He finished with 21 points, five rebounds and four assists. Meanwhile, Kelly had a strong second half to finish with 19 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and one block.
Jeff Burroughs (Belleville/Ypsilanti, Mich.) added 13 points, three rebounds, one steal and a team-high seven assists. Jerron Jamerson (Washington/South Bend, Ind.) added 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting from the field. Franklin Lindsey (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) added six points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Express.
Owens shot 32-for-63 overall from the field, 12-for-25 from three point range and 9-for-12 from the foul line. Delta finished 30-for-64 overall, 3-for-15 from three point range and 12-for-15 from the foul line. The Pioneers were led by 29 points, five rebounds, two assists and one block from Jody Hill, while Jakob Holland added 11 and LaQuintas Madison had 10 points.
The Express out-rebounded the Pioneers 40 to 28. While they had more turnovers (19 to 8), the Express out-produced Delta in assists (19 to 8), blocks (4 to 1), points in the paint (32 to 26), bench points (26 to 23) and steals (8 to 7).
Owens led 49-38 at halftime. They also led by as many as 19 in the second half.
The Express (12-4) will next play on Dec. 30 at Kirtland Community College beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Monday, December 19
Cincinnati State's Men's Basketball (9-2/0-0) Defeat Malcolm X in Overtime
The Cincinnati State men's basketball team bounced back from a loss on Saturday night with a 90 to 89 overtime road win against Malcolm X on Monday night.
Cincinnati State sophomore Anton Hutchins (Lima Senior HS) led the Surge with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Center Will Clark proved to be a force on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball recording 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocked shots. Forward Karriem Baker led the Surge in rebounds with 13 to go along with 10 points as the Surge were able to earn a one point victory over their opponent who now fall to 11-4 on the season.
Now with a record of 9-2 heading into the holiday break, the Surge will not return to action until January 6th on the road against Olive Harvey.
Sunday, December 18
Cincinnati State's Women's Basketball (13-0/0-0) Dominique Fischer Scores 37 to Lead the Surge to Victory
The Cincinnati State women's basketball team beat Roane State (TN) by a score of 101 to 84. This marked the first time Cincinnati State scored over the century mark this season as they improved to 13-0 on the year.
Cincinnati State's Dominique Fischer (Flint-Southwestern HS) took over the game scoring a career high 37 points while shooting 14 for 23 from the field. Brittiney Latimer (Xenia HS) recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 total rebounds as did Kara McLemore (Trotwood-Madison) who finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Point guard DeDe Henry (Trotwood-Madison) led all players in assists with 9 to go along with 18 points on the afternoon. The balanced scoring attack and Fischer's hot shooting hand were enough to overcome a Roane State team who shot 60% from beyond the arc as the Lady Surge streched out the lead late in the game to win by 27.
At 13-0 going into the holiday break, the Lady Surge will not return to action until January 6th against Olive-Harvey College in Chicago, Illinois.
Cincinnati State's Men's Basketball (8-2/0-0) Loses by One to Kennedy-King
The Cincinnati State Surge lost to the Kennedy-King Statesmen by a score of 65 to 64 in last night's finale of the Kennedy-King Tournament. For the Surge, who now fall to 8-2 on the season, the game marked the lowest offensive output of the season. Kennedy-King, a NJCAA Div. I institution, improves to 7-4 overall with the victory.
Now at 8-2, Cincinnati State will complete the third game of their Chicago road trip against Malcolm X Community College on Monday, December 19th
No. 12 Owens Express Women (10-3/0-0) Top Lake Michigan in Battle of Two of the Nation's Top Five Scorers
In a matchup of two of the nation's top five scorers, Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, Ohio) and the No. 12 Owens Express women's basketball team defeated Breauna Rivoli-Johnson and Lake Michigan College 68-60 in the SHAC on Saturday afternoon.
Hall, who entered the game fifth in the nation in scoring, finished the game with 20 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and one block off the bench. While she finished only 4-for-10 from the field, Hall made 12 of 14 shots from the foul line. It was her third double-double this season, and the sophomore guard has scored at least 14 in each game this year.
Meanwhile, the nation's leading scorer, Breauna Rivoli-Johnson of Lake Michigan, entered the game averaging just under 28 points per contest, but she was frustrated most of the game offensively and finished with 16 points, four rebounds and five steals. Against the Express, Rivoli-Johnson finished 5-for-16 overall from the field, 0-for-1 from three point range, and 6-for-9 from the foul line.
Priscilla Miranda added 11 points, two rebounds, five assists and one steal for Lake Michigan.
Hall wasn't the only one crashing the boards for the Express as two others hit double-figures in rebounding. Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, Ohio) finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and one steal, while Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, Ohio) added six points, 10 rebounds, four blocks, three assists and two steals.
Ricketts, a freshman forward, has scored in double figures in all but one game this season. It was her first double figure rebounding game. Foster, a 5'5" sophomore point guard, recorded her fifth double figure rebounding game of the year. She is the team's second leading rebounder behind Hall.
Mackenzie Heacock (Arlington/Arlington, Ohio) finished third on the team in scoring with 12 points, while also pulling down four boards. Uniqua Mitchell (Martin Luther King/Detroit, Mich.) finished with six points, six rebounds, a team-high seven assists, one block and one steal.
The Express won the battle at the free throw line and on the boards to win an otherwise statistically even game. The Express shot 23-for-37 from the foul line compared to 12-for-21 for Lake Michigan, while the Express had 54 rebounds (22 offensive) compared to 36 rebounds (10 offensive) for Lake Michigan. The Express held advantages in assists (13 to 8) and blocks (6 to 3), while Lake Michigan held advantages in turnovers (21 to 24) and steals (12 to 10).
Owens shot 21-for-61 overall from the field and 3-for-12 from three point range. Lake Michigan finished 23-for-61 from the field overall and 2-for-14 from three point range.
With Saturday's game, Hall now has 262 points this year and 734 points in her career. The latter puts her in a tie with Teresa Miller for 14th place on the career scoring list. Hall is on pace to become only the second women's basketball player at Owens to finish with 1,000 or more points.
Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, Ohio), the nation's leader in blocked shots, sat out her second consecutive game due to injury.
Owens, who led 30-25 at halftime, is now 10-3 this year. They will travel to University Center, Mich. to take on Delta College next Tuesday beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Express Men (11-4/0-0) Defeat Lake Michigan 90-73 Behind Freshmen Duo of Edmonds and Kelly
Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, Mich.) paced the team in the first half, while James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.) paced the team in the second half as the Owens Express men's basketball team defeated Lake Michigan College 90-73 in the SHAC on Saturday afternoon.
In the first half, Edmonds totaled 15 points, three rebounds and two assists, while Kelly had four points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. In the second half, Kelly had 20 points, one rebound, one assist, two blocks and two steals, while Edmonds had 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Overall, Edmonds finished with a game high 29 points, a team-high seven rebounds, a team-high five assists, and two steals. He went 8-for-13 overall from the field, 7-for-10 from three point range and 6-for-8 from the foul line. Additionally, Edmonds came just one made three point field goal away from tying the school record for most in one game.
Kelly finished with 24 points, six rebounds, four assists, a team-high four steals and and a team-high three blocks. The freshman forward had four dunks in the second half, and he has now reached an even 300 points this season.
Edmonds and Kelly have each had eight games this year in which they have scored 20 or more points.
Taronta Cole Jr. (Gulfport/Gulfport, Miss.) added nine points on 3-for-5 shooting from three point range, while Jeff Burroughs (Belleville/Ypsilanti, Mich.) had eight points, three rebounds, two steals and a team-high seven assists.
As a team, the Express finished 28-for-56 overall from the field, 14-for-27 from three point range and 20-for-25 from the foul line. Lake Michigan finished 26-for-57 overall, 2-for-11 from three point range and 19-for-28 from the foul line.
Lake Michigan out-produced the Express in points in the paint (38 to 22), rebounds (34 to 30) and second chance points (20 to 8), but the Express out-produced Lake Michigan in points off turnovers (34 to 21), and bench points (42 to 19).
The Express came up just one made three point field goal away from tying the school record for most in one game as a team. They led by as many as 20 in the second half.
Tim Bates led Lake Michigan with 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. KeyVan Ford added 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Lavell McKnight had 10 points. Eric Thompson produced a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, as well.
Owens is now 11-4 this season and has surpassed last year's win total of 10. They will travel to University Center, Mich. to take on Delta College next Tuesday beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 17
Kelly Leads Owens Express Men's Basketball (10-4/0-0) to Double Digit Win
James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.) engineered the Owens Express men’s basketball team to an 87-77 win over Grand Rapids Community College in the SHAC Friday night.
With the win, the Express (10-4) has now matched their win total from all of last season under first-year head coach Dave Clarke. They also complete the season sweep of Grand Rapids after having defeated them on Nov. 18.
Kelly, a freshman forward, started the game strong as he had six points and four rebounds less than three minutes in. He opened the game with a dunk and made the first three shots for the Express while finishing with 22 points, 16 rebounds (seven offensive), two steals, one block and one assist in 25 minutes. For the season, he is now averaging 19.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.
Taronta Cole (Gulfport/Gulfport, Miss.) had a season-high 12 points for the Express, while Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, Mich.) and Jeff Burroughs (Belleville/Ypsilanti, Mich) each had 11 points. Edmonds also added six rebounds and six assists.
Grand Rapids started the game strong offensively as they led 15-6 and 24-15, with the second nine point lead coming at the 8:59 mark. With 6:54 remaining in the first half, however, the Express had tied it at 25 and finished the half on a 10-6 run to take a 35-31 lead into the break.
Owens kept the rally going in the second half as they held a double figure lead most of the half. At the 5:16 mark, they stretched the lead to the largest of the game with a 72-56 advantage. Grand Rapids rallied, however, and trimmed the lead to three with 1:09 remaining at 78-75. However, Cole hit a three from the left corner to stretch the lead back to six before Owens hit six of six free throws in the final minute to seal the game.
Kelly finished 9-for-15 from the field overall and 4-for-6 from the foul line. All of Cole’s points came from three point range as he finished 4-for-8 from long distance and 4-for-9 overall. Burroughs went 6-for-6 from the foul line and he was 4-for-4 from the line in the final minute of the game.
Jordan Basinger (Kalida/Kalida, Ohio) came up big off the bench in his first collegiate action as he finished with eight points, seven rebounds and one steal in 13 minutes of action. The sophomore forward, who is also a baseball player for the Express, joined the team a little over a week ago.
Kelvin Clark (Bogan/Chicago, Ill.) also had a strong game off the bench as he had seven points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal.
Roy Jackson led the Raiders with 20 points, while T.J. McCutcheon finished with 15 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Tyler Krim also finished in double figures with 13, while Owens held Alex Lyle, the leading scorer for Grand Rapids, to only eight points. He was averaging over 23 points per game coming in. The Raiders are now 5-5 this season.
As a team, the Express shot 18-for-24 from the foul line. They finished 30-for-64 from the field overall and 9-for-23 from long distance. Grand Rapids finished 27-for-65 overall, 10-for-21 from three point range and 13-for-22 from the foul line.
Owens held a strong advantage on the glass (47 to 30) thanks to Kelly – including a 12 to 8 advantage on the offensive end. Grand Rapids had two more steals (9 to 7) and had less turnovers (14 to 17), but the Express held advantages in assists (18 to 15), blocks (9 to 0), bench points (27 to 16), and points in the paint (36 to 22). Each team had 20 personal fouls.
While the Express only turned the ball over four times in the second half, the also shot lights out. In the second half, Owens finished 18-for-32 (56.3 percent) from the field, 5-for-9 (55.6 percent) from three point range and 11-for-15 (73.3 percent) from the foul line.
The Express will take on Lake Michigan College at 3 p.m. today at home in the SHAC before traveling to Delta College on Dec. 20.
Cincinnati State Men's Basketball Improves to 8-1/0-0 With a 77 to 58 Victory Over Quakerdale Prep
The Cincinnati State men's basketball team won 77 to 58 over Quakerdale Prep in the opening game of the Kennedy-King Tournament in Chicago, Illinois.
Freshman Cody Martin(Cleveland Heights HS) recorded his fourth double-double in five games tallying 13 points and 18 rebounds. At center, freshman Will Clark put together his best game of the season with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Anton Hutchins(Lima Senior HS) led the Surge offensively with 14 points to go along with 8 rebounds as Cincinnati State cruised to their 8th win of the season.
Now at 8-1, Cincinnati State will play hosting Kennedy-King Community College in the tournament finale tomorrow at 3:00 PM.
For more information on the Cincinnati State men's basketball team please click here.
Friday, December 16
No. 3 Ranked Cincinnati State Women's Basketball (12-0/0-0) Beats Southeastern Illinois in Lopsided 98-45 Victory
In their first home game since November 12th, the Cincinnati State Lady Surge beat a winless Southeastern Illinois by 53 points on Thursday night.
Coming into the game at 0-11 on the year, Southeastern Illinois was no match for Cincinnati State's pressure defense as they committed 24 first half turnovers and fell behind 48 to 18 at halftime. In a very balanced Cincinnati State offensive performance, freshman guard Hayle Phillips (Lakota West) led the Surge with 8 points off the bench. Center Taylor Frazier (Middletown HS) followed with 7 points to go along with 9 first half rebounds.
Southeastern Illinois continued to struggle to score in the second half as the Lady Surge defense continued to apply pressure. Led by Kara McLemore with 8 and DeDe Henry (Trotwood-Madison) with 6, Cincinnati State recorded a game total of 33 steals on the night. Despite a poor shooting percentage of 40% from the field and 41% from the free throw line, Cincinnati State's defense allowed the Lady Surge to cruise to the 98 to 45 victory. Guard Dominique Fischer and forward Brittiney Latimer (Xenia HS) led the Surge in scoring with 11 points each followed by guard E'dnekqwa Lang (Mason HS) and Kara McLemore (Trotwood-Madison HS) who both scored 10 points.
Now at 12-0 and ranked 3rd behind no. 1 Johnson County Community College (10-1) and no. 2 Iowa Central Community College (13-1) in the National Junior College Athletic Association's national poll, Cincinnati State will return to action this Saturday at home against Roane State beginning at 1:00 PM.
Sinclair Men's Basketball (8-4/0-0) Wins at Wilmington 95-72
Sinclair Men’s basketball continued a 7 game road swing during the Winter break with a 95-72 win on Wednesday night against the Wilmington College JV team.
To say Sinclair started the game hot would be a major understatement as the Pride converted on the game’s first 10 possessions going 10 for 10 from the field which included 3 for 3 from the 3 point line. The early 22-3 lead would be pushed out to as many as 31 during which Sinclair shot 62% from the field for the game and 46% from the 3 point arc. A well played team game, the Pride forced the Quakers into 19 turnovers as Sinclair collected 27 assist on only 12 turnovers.
Sinclair had five players in double figures as a pair of Freshman lead the way with 21 points each. JaBriel Coaston (6-5/Cincinnati – Roger Bacon H.S.) had a game high 21 points 6 rebounds and Charlie Byers (5-11/Cincinnati – Moeller H.S.) also had 21 points and game high 9 assist. Joining Coaston and Byers in double figures, Sophomores Jonathan Bibbs (6-4/Chaminade Julienne H.S.) 13 points and Trent Maddox (6-4/Gallatin Co H.S. KY) with 12 points and 8 assist along with a game high 9 rebounds. Freshman Gavin Schumann (6-1/Cincinnati – Roger Bacon H.S.) chipped in with 12 points and 3 assist to round out the double figure scorers for the Pride.
Sinclair will end the 7 game road swing next week as the pride will take on Wright State – Lake on Wednesday and Wittenberg on Thursday.
Both the Women and the Men will return home on Wednesday the 28th as Ohio University – Chillicothe comes to town for a 5:30/7:30 tip. All home games are played in Building 8 on the Downtown Dayton Campus.
Thursday, December 15
No. 12 Owens Express Women (9-3/0-0) Rout Mott, Hall Becomes 15th to Score 700 Career Points
The No. 12 Owens Express women’s basketball team scored 25 straight points in the first half on the way to an 84-50 rout of Mott Community College on the road Wednesday night.
Clinging to an 18-14 lead with 9:19 remaining in the first half, Owens went on a 25-0 run over the next seven minutes and 17 seconds. The Express then took a 47-20 lead into the half before cruising the rest of the way as every player who logged minutes scored.
Four players scored in double figures for the Express, led by Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, Ohio), who had 17 points, eight rebounds, four steals and two assists in 21 minutes off the bench. She was 7-for-9 from the field and 3-for-3 from the foul line. The sophomore became only the 15th player in Express women’s basketball history to eclipse the 700 point mark in a career. Hall currently sits at a Ruthian 714 points.
Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, Ohio) added 16 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal, while Karahn Scott (Scott/Toledo, Ohio) had 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Essence Miller (Beecher/Flint, Mich.) had 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in her hometown. It was Miller’s second highest point total this season, while it was Scott’s season-high point total.
Ellie Riser (St. Wendelin/Fostoria, Ohio) even scored the first points of her career. The freshman guard notched four points, three rebounds and one assist in 10 minutes of action. Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, Ohio) did not play due to injury.
The Express defeated Mott 90-65 at home on Nov. 21, so the victory completes a season sweep.
The Express out-assisted the Bears 27 to 7, while notching 15 steals compared to eight for the Bears. The biggest advantage of the night for the Express, however, was on the glass as they had 53 rebounds - 26 more than the Bears. Owens also held a 16 to 9 advantage on the offensive glass.
Owens shot 36-for-70 (51.4 percent) overall from the field, 4-for-11 (36.4 percent) from three point range and 8-for-12 (66.7 percent) from the foul line. Meanwhile, Mott shot 19-for-60 (31.7 percent) overall, 2-for-16 (12.5 percent) from three point range and 10-for-16 (62.5 percent) from the foul line.
The Bears were led by 14 points from Jennica Polzin and 13 points from Marquetta.
Owens moves to 9-3 with the win, while Mott falls to 1-6. The next action for Owens is Saturday in the SHAC at 1 p.m. against No. 27 Lake Michigan College.
Owens Express Men's Basketball (9-4/0-0) Nearly Upset the No. 1 and Undefeated Mott Bears on the Road
The Owens Express men’s basketball team nearly pulled off a shocker on the road before falling to No. 1 and undefeated Mott Community College 74-70 Wednesday night.
A 9-0 run late in the first half allowed Mott to turn a close game into a 36-27 lead at the break. Early in the second half, Mott stretched their lead to 13 with 15:41 remaining. That’s when the Express started chipping away.
A technical foul on Mott’s leading scorer John Taylor started the rally. Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, Mich.) hit one of two free throws following the technical and followed up with a jumper a short time later to cut the deficit to 10.
After a missed layup by Mott’s Jacob Perry, Edmonds found Milan Mabry (Bowsher/Toledo, Ohio) in the right corner for a three to cut the deficit to seven. After another missed layup by Mott’s Walter Davis, Edmonds came down and pulled up for a three to cut it to a four point deficit. Mott then increased the lead to eight with 9:26 remaining, but the Express didn’t give in.
Back-to-back layups by James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.) and Jeremy Weemes (Springfield/Holland, Ohio), and a three pointer from the left corner by Taronta Cole Jr. (Gulfport/Gulfport, Miss.) cut Mott’s lead to one with 7:26 remaining. The Express would then tie the game twice, the second time coming on an alley-oop dunk from Kelly at the 5:22 mark.
Mott stretched their lead to four over the next few minutes before Jeff Burroughs (Belleville/Ypsilanti, Mich.) converted a three point play to cut Mott’s lead to 66-65 with 1:51 remaining. However, Taylor hit back-to-back shots for Mott, while Edmonds missed a three pointer and Kelly missed a reverse layup on the ensuing possessions. Mott then iced the game in the final minute at the foul line.
Cole harassed Taylor all night defensively. Taylor, the nation’s second leading scorer at over 28 points per game, only had two points at the half. Despite 17 second half points, they didn’t come easy.
Edmonds also produced 17 second half points to lead the Express in scoring overall. He finished with 19 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals. Kelly was the other Express player in double figures with 17 points, while adding 11 rebounds and four blocks.
Each team had 14 turnovers, but the Express had 15 assists compared to eight for Mott. The Express held an advantage at the three point line, and Mott had an advantage at the foul line. Owens finished 7-for-26 from three point range compared to 3-for-9 for Mott, while Mott finished 23-for-34 from the foul line compared to 15-for-18 from the foul line.
Mott had defeated the Express 88-65 in the SHAC on Nov. 21 and Wednesday night was a vast turnaround from that night’s performance for the Express.
Owens shot 24-for-61 overall from the field compared to 25-for-59 for Mott. The Bears held a 17 to 10 advantage on the offensive glass, which led to a 9-2 advantage in second chance points and may have contributed to a 22 to 16 advantage in points in the paint.
While Taylor led Mott with 19, Ralph Eason added 14 and Darryl Marshall had 11.
Owens drops to 9-4 with the loss, while Mott remains undefeated at 9-0. The next action for Owens is Friday in the SHAC at 7:30 p.m. against Grand Rapids Community College.
Wednesday, December 14
Sinclair Women's Basketball (6-2/0-0) Survives UC Clermont
Sinclair and University of Cincinnati – Clermont would have their second meeting in the last 17 days and both teams struggled with shooting. The Tartan Pride shot 35% from the field in the first half and UC – Clermont was only 27% and the half ended with a 4 point Sinclair lead, 23-19.
The Pride picked up the pace shooting an improved 43% and took the lead for good with one minute remaining with two free throws from Sophomore Brandi McDaniels. The final would be 61-54 and improving Sinclair’s season record to 6-2.
Leading the way for Sinclair was Katie VonLehmden (Sophomore, Fort Jennings H.S.) with 20 points and McDaniels (Sophomore, Franklin H.S.) with 13 points.
Sinclair’s next home game will be on Wednesday, December 28, as both Men and Women play OU – Chillicothe.
Game Time on Wednesday will be 5:30 PM. The game will be played at the downtown campus in Building 8.
Sunday, December 11
Sinclair Men's Basketball (7-4/0-0) Travels to North Carolina, Defeat Tarheels at Dean Smith Center
Sinclair Men’s basketball finished off a three day road trip with an 87-85 win over the University of North Carolina JV (6-3) Tar Heels played in the Dean Smith Center
After a long bus ride down to Chapel Hill on Thursday, Sinclair was treated with an early Holiday gift. Friday the Pride drove the 8 miles from Chapel Hill to Durham to practice at Cameron Indoor Stadium on the campus of Duke University. Thanks to Mike Ryan the Director of Intercollegiate Athletic Facilities at Duke, Sinclair was granted a two hour time slot at Cameron for practice which turned into a lot of photo ops with some practice mixed in. Home of the Cameron Crazies and Coach K Court, Cameron Indoor Stadium is considered one of the top college basketball venues in the nation.
Saturday Sinclair squared off against the Tar Heels JV squad for the third time during the Coach Price era. Sinclair won the first game between the two teams and UNC won the last meeting but this match up would turn out to be the closest and most exciting of the three.
Sinclair opened the game scoring the first basket but quickly fell behind as the Pride struggled to find any offensive rhythm. The 9 point margin the Tar Heels held in the first half was the largest lead of the game by either team. By the end of the 1st half, Sinclair had erased the Tar Heels lead with solid defense and easy transition baskets. Heading into intermission, the hot shooting Pride posted a 45-38 halftime lead by shooting 47.5% from the field and 44.4% from the 3pt arc.
The second half started with another Tar Heel run as they quickly erased the Prides 7 point halftime lead to take their own 7 point lead with about 13 minutes remaining. After exchanging baskets, Sinclair mounted their final comeback and took a 76-75 lead with about 7 minutes to go. The game stayed in the balance until the 2 minute mark when Trent Maddox (6/4 SO/Gallatin Co H.S. KY) knocked down a big three point shot to give the Pride a 6 point spread. The Tar Heels made a couple of clutch baskets to pull within 2 points in the final seconds and had the ball on a sideline out of bounds with 3.1 seconds only to have their 3 point shot attempt fall short.
Sinclair was lead by a trio of freshman in scoring; Gavin Schumann (6-1/Cincinnati – Roger Bacon H.S.) 26 points and 6 steals, Charlie Byers (5-10/Cincinnati – Moeller H.S.) 24 points and 6 assist, JaBriel Coaston (6-5/Cincinnati Roger Bacon H.S.) 12 points and 7 rebounds.
“This was a dream come true. We had the opportunity to play on two of the greatest courts in college basketball and we did it in a 24 hour time frame. And the icing on the cake came with the win at UNC.” Said Freshman Guard Aaron Valerio (6-0/Kettering – Fairmont H.S.)
Sinclair returns to action Wednesday night as the Pride take on the Quakers of Wilmington College in Wilmington, OH. Game time is set for 6pm and will be played at Wilmington College.
Cincinnati State Women's Basketball Stay Perfect at 11-0 With Weekend Wins in Chicago
The Cincinnati State women's basketball team extended their win streak to eleven games with decisive road wins over Morton Community College and Kennedy-King Community College.
In a 97 to 21 blowout against Morton on Friday, sophomore Kara McLemore (Trotwood-Madison HS) led all scorers despite playing limited minutes with 17 points to go along with 4 assists, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals. Freshman Ednekqwa Lang (Mason HS) took advantage of her opportunity to play and followed McLemore with 13 points on the evening. Starting guards DeDe Henry (Trotwood-Madison) and Dominique Fischer (Flint Southwestern HS) scored 11 points each followed by forward Taylor Frazier (Middletown HS) who finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
In Saturday's 94 to 61 win over Kennedy-King, Taylor Frazier put forth her best offensive performance of the season with 24 points while pulling down 14 rebounds in addition to an impressive 5 blocks on the afternoon. This marked Frazier's seventh double-double of the season. Following Frazier was the consistent Kara McLemore who also recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds to go with 6 assists. Sophomore forward Brittiney Latimer (Xenia HS) chipped in with 11 points as the Surge cruised to the 33 point victory.
Now at 11-0 and ranked 3rd behind no. 1 Johnson County Community College (10-1) and no. 2 Iowa Central Community College (13-1) in the National Junior College Athletic Association's national poll, Cincinnati State will return to action at home against Southeastern Illinois College on Thursday, December 15th at 7:30 PM.
No. 7 Columbus State Men's Basketball (10-0/0-0) Defeats Jamestown Community College for Second Straight Time
Due to a scheduling conflict, The No. 7-ranked Columbus State Cougars men's basketball team met Jamestown community college for the second straight game. This matchup proved to be a little easier for the Cougars as they took down Jamestown by the score of 78-47.
With the victory, Columbus State moves to 10-0 and Jamestown falls to 7-4 on the young season.
Leading Columbus State was Mo Conde with 18 points and 8 rebounds.
Saturday, December 10
No. 11 Owens Express Women (8-3/0-0) Upset by Schoolcraft on the Road
The No. 11-ranked Owens Express women's basketball team turned the ball over 26 times Friday en route to being upset 70-57 by Schoolcraft College.
Uniqua Mitchell (Martin Luther King/Detroit, Mich.) led the Express in scoring for the second time this year. She finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one steal. Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, Ohio) finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block, while Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, Ohio) had 10 points, eight rebounds, two steals and one assist. Aside from those three, the rest of the team only produced 14 points.
Hall now has 697 career points. She passed Sarah Clark (689) and Jeanne Bockey (692) to move into a tie for 15th place on the career scoring list with Janice Butzin.
Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, Ohio) finished with a team-high five blocks for the Express, while Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, Ohio) had a team-high four assists. The game marked the first time this year that the Express did not have anyone record double figures in rebounding.
The Express jumped out to a 4-0 lead early, but Schoolcraft went on a 25-8 run to take a 13 point lead with 9:13 remaining in the first half. Owens answered back to take a 29-27 lead on a three from Mitchell with 3:50 remaining. The Express held a two point lead heading into the half.
The game was tied at 38 with 15:49 remaining in the game before Schoolcraft went on a decisive 9-0 run over the next 1:27. The Ocelots maintained their lead the rest of the way, and they led by as many as 14 late in the game. The Express got to within five with 7:58 remaining, but that was as close as they got. The Ocelots outscored Owens 39-24 in the second half.
The 26 turnovers for the Express was their second highest total in a game this year. Coincidentally, their highest turnover total was in their first game against Schoolcraft when they turned the ball over 28 times. Friday's game also marked season lows for the Express in points (57), assists (13), and overall shooting percentage (32.8 percent).
Domonique Jones led Schoolcraft with 22 points, while Shawnicka Thomas had 17 points and 12 rebounds. Ashley Beemon also had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Charlise Slater had 12 points. The rest of the Ocelot team only scored three points.
The Ocelots held a large advantage in foul shooting as they finished 20-for-29 from the line compared to 9-for-15 for the Express. The two teams each had 51 rebounds, while Schoolcraft had four more offensive rebounds. Owens had more assists (13 to 9), but Schoolcraft had more steals (16 to 10).
The Express are now 8-3 this season, while Schoolcraft moves to 7-2. The next game for Owens is next Wednesday on the road against Mott Community College in Flint, Mich. beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Edmonds and Kelly Combine for 54 to Lead Express Men's Basketball (9-3/0-0) Over Schoolcraft
Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, Mich.) and James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.) dominated the offensive end of the floor for the Owens Express men's basketball team en route to an 85-70 win over Schoolcraft College.
Edmonds had a game high 28 points, while adding five rebounds and four assists. Kelly was close behind in points with 26, while adding a game high 15 rebounds. He also had three assists, one block and one steal.
Edmonds was 8-for-11 from the field, 3-for-5 from three point range and 9-for-9 from the foul line in 25 minutes of action. Kelly was 12-for-19 from the field and 2-for-4 from the foul line.
Jeremy Weemes (Springfield/Holland, Ohio), Jay Marquette (Central Catholic/Rossford, Ohio), and Jeff Burroughs (Belleville/Ypsilanti, Mich.) each added six points for the Express.
The Express shot 32-for-63 from the field, 8-for-21 from three point range and 13-for-16 from the foul line. Meanwhile, Schoolcraft finished 30-for-74 overall, 1-for-7 from three point range and 9-for-14 from the foul line. Owens held advantages in rebounds (41-38), assists (21-10), and blocks (2-1).
The Express outscored Schoolcraft 49-30 in the first half, while Schoolcraft outscored Owens 40-36 in the second half.
The Express are now 9-3 this year, while Schoolcraft falls to 6-3. Owens is now one win away from matching last year's win total, and their first chance to do that will come on the road in Flint, Mich. against No. 1-ranked Mott Community College next Wednesday.
No. 7 Columbus State Men's Basketball (9-0/0-0) Continues Undefeated Season
The No. 7-ranked Columbus State Cougars men's basketball team continued their winning ways by defeating a tough Jamestown Community College team by a score of 72-62.
With the victory, the Cougars move to 9-0 overall and with the loss, Jamestown falls to 7-3.
Leading Columbus State was sophomore Glenn Cosey with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Dimitri Abner also poured in 16 points.
Friday, December 9
Sinclair Women's Basketball (5-2/0-0) Tops Rio Grande JV
Sinclair Women’s Tartan Pride basketball team coming off a tough loss to University of Cincinnati – Clermont, looked to rebound as they hosted University of Rio Grande in a Friday evening game. It didn’t the Tartan Pride long to open up a comfortable lead in the first half as they took a 39-27 edge going in a the half
The Pride shot 48% from the field for the game and would go on to win by the final of 71-49.
Four players scored in double figures led by second year players India Taste (Sophomore, Trotwood-Madison H.S.) and Katie VonLehmden (Sophomore, Fort Jennings H.S.) each had 17 points and teammate Danielle Forrer (Sophomore, Troy Christian H.S.) added 13 and 5 steals.
The Lady Pride move to 5-2 on the season.
Sinclair’s next home game will be on Tuesday, December 13, as they have the rematch with UC – Clermont.
Game Time on Tuesday will be 5:30 PM. The game will be played at the downtown campus.
Cincinnati State's Men's Basketball (7-1/0-0) Frontcourt Leads the Surge to Victory
The Cincinnati State men's basketball team played host to a hardnosed Daley College school from Chicago on Friday night. Daley, a NJCAA D-I institution, entered the game with a 6-3 record while Cincinnati State looked to improve upon a 6-1 overall mark.
In a first half which had 7 ties and 12 lead changes, Cincinnati State forward Karriem Baker presented a mismatch for the smaller forwards of Daley College. Although only taking two shot attempts, Baker was able to get to line and convert 7 of 8 free throws while drawing fouls on Daley's key player - Ervin Thomas who led all scorers at the half with 11 points as Daley took a 35 to 34 lead into halftime.
"They played us tough. We knew that coming in. They are well coached and play fundamental basketball," Head Coach Andre Tate said.
Midway through the second half in a close game, Cincinnati State went to their biggest advantage and pounded the ball inside with Karriem Baker and freshman forward Cody Martin (Cleveland Heights HS). Picking up where he left off in the first half, Baker continued to draw fouls and knock down shots at the line converting 11 of 15 free throws and finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Cody Martin, who led the Surge in scoring with 18 points, made the biggest play of what was then a 2 Cincinnati State lead as he collected an offensive rebound and scored with 54 seconds to go. Martin finished the game with 14 rebounds to record his third double-double of the season as the Surge pulled out a 64 to 58 victory. In addition, Martin led all players in steals with 4 on the evening.
"Cody and Karriem were big for us down the stretch. We had to show some toughness to win this game," Tate said.
Now at 7-1, Cincinnati State will look forward to returning to action at home next Tuesday against the junior varsity team of Thomas More before going on the road to Chicago for games against Wright-Wilbur, Kennedy-King and Malcolm X in the Kennedy-King Invitational Tournament beginning on December 16th.
Wednesday, December 7
Owens Express Volleyball Egbert and Comes Garner All-American Honors
Owens Express volleyball players Brittany Egbert (Hopewell-Loudon/Fostoria, Ohio) and Ellie Comes (Southview/Sylvania, Ohio) have been named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Div. II All-America team.
Egbert, a sophomore middle blocker, was named an NJCAA Div. II Second Team All-American for the second consecutive season. She accumulated 496 kills, 39 assists, 39 aces, 250 digs and 140 blocks this past year. During her two year career, Egbert totaled 1016 kills, 53 assists, 120 aces, 531 digs and 301 blocks.
Egbert is a two-time First Team All-Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) selection, a two-time OCCAC Player of the Year, a two-time First Team All-Region XII team selection, a two-time All-Region XII Tournament team selection, and a one-time Region XII Tournament Most Valuable Player selection. She ranks second in program history with 1,016 career kills, has the highest kill/dig combination (1016/531) and kill/block combination (1016/301), holds the school records for hitting efficiency in both a season (.365) and career (.334) and is in the top ten in single season aces, career aces, and career blocks. Additionally, she owns the third and fourth highest single season kill totals. Egbert is only the second two-time All-American in women's volleyball (Stephanie Champine, 2006-07) at Owens, and she is the first two-time Second Team All-American.
Comes, a sophomore libero, was named to the NJCAA Div. II Honorable Mention All-American team. She became the program's career digs leader this past season while totaling 16 kills, 20 assists, 43 aces and 940 digs. She had 29 kills, 33 assists, 86 aces, and 1882 digs during her two-year career. Comes is a two-time First Team All-OCCAC selection, a two-time First Team All-Region XII selection, and a two-time All-Region XII Tournament selection. She holds the second and third highest single season totals in digs in addition to her career record. Comes is the third player in program history to earn NJCAA Div. II Honorable Mention All-American honors.
Over the past two years, Egbert and Comes have helped lead the Express to an 87-14 overall record - including a 23-1 OCCAC record. The team won two OCCAC titles and captured one Region XII title and one Region XII runner-up finish during their career. This past season, they had the highest winning percentage in program history (45-5, .900), which included tying the mark for most wins and setting a record for fewest losses in a season.
Tuesday, December 6
Columbus State Women's Basketball Team Improves to 7-2/0-0 With Victories in Jamestown
The Columbus State Community College Women’s Basketball team recently picked up a pair of wins in the Jamestown Tournament. The Cougars were paced by Audrey Anadein on Friday, as she tallied 17 points in the 86-50 victory over Niagra County Community College. Three other Cougars contributed in double figures as Karis Watts added 15 points and Melea Smith and Chelsea Damron tossed in 13 apiece.
The Cougars then upset No. 20 Jamestown Community College with a 73-58 win on Saturday. Jamestown CC led at halftime by five points, but the Cougars shot 78 percent from the 3-point line in the second half to seal the game.
Audrey Anadein pitched in 10 points and 10 rebounds to earn All-Tournament Honors, while Karis Watts was named Tournament MVP with her 29-point performance in the championship game. Bailey Pierron also added 14 points as the Cougars improved to 7-2 on the season.
Saturday, December 3
Cincinnati State Women's Basketball Improves to 9-0 on the Season
The Cincinnati State Lady Surge improved to 9-0 on the season with a decisive 94 to 46 road win over Mid-Michigan Community College on the second day of the Buffalo Wild Wings Holiday Classic held on the Muskegon Community College campus.
Coming of a big win against previously undefeated Muskegon Community College, the Lady Surge got off to a fast start and did not look back against a Mid-Michigan CC program going through the ups and downs of its inaugural season. Sophomore Kara McLemore (Trotwood-Madison HS) led all scorers with 21 points. McLemore, who is currently 4th in the nation in steals, recorded seven steals to go along with 8 rebounds on the afternoon. Sophomore center Taylor Frazier (Middletown HS) recorded her fifth double-double of the year with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Now at 9-0 and ranked 3rd in the National Junior College Athletic Association national poll, Cincinnati State will return to action at the Gloria Reeves Tournament December 9th and 10th in Chicago, Illinois.
For more information on the Cincinnati State women's basketball team, please visit - http://www.cincinnatistate.edu/on-campus/athletics/womens-basketball
No. 12 Owens Express Women's Basketball (8-2/0-0) Rout Glen Oaks on the Road
The No. 12-ranked Owens Express women's basketball team routed Glen Oaks C.C. 90-30 on the road today behind Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, Ohio), Kieona Foster (Shawnee/Lima, Ohio) and Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, Ohio).
Hall led the Express in scoring with 20 points, while adding five rebounds, three steals and two assists. Foster came just three assists short of a triple-double as she produced 12 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block. Meanwhile, Galvan tied her own national record for most blocks in a game with 12, while also producing eight points and four rebounds.
Through the season's first 10 games (1/3 of the regular season), Galvan is halfway to the single season block record for Owens. Additionally, Hall now has 681 career points. She passed Becky Knannlein (668 points) for 18th place on the career scoring list.
Glen Oaks scored the game's first points to go up 2-0. Owens then went on a 21-0 run until Glen Oaks scored at the 12:33 mark of the first half, held a 39-5 lead until Glen Oaks hit a three pointer at the 4:21 mark, and finished the half up 49-12.
Mackenzie Heacock (Arlington/Arlington, Ohio) had 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, Ohio) had 12 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals. Karahn Scott (Scott/Toledo, Ohio) had seven points, eight rebounds and one steal in 14 minutes of action.
The Express shot 37-for-69 (53.6%) overall from the field, 2-for-9 (22.2%) from three point range, and 14-for-25 (56%) from the foul line. Meanwhile, Glen Oaks shot 12-for-68 (17.6%) overall, 4-for-25 (16%) from three point range, and 2-for-6 (33.3%) from the foul line. The Express outrebounded Glen Oaks 54 to 36, had more assists (26 to 6), less turnovers (14 to 24), more blocks (13 to 4) and more steals (17 to 6).
The Express are now 8-2 this year. They will next play on the road against Schoolcraft College on Dec. 9 at 5:30 p.m.
Owens Express Men's Basketball (8-3/0-0) Lose to Glen Oaks Despite 30 Points From Justin Edmonds
The Owens Express men's basketball team lost 82-79 to Glen Oaks Community College in a back-and-forth game Saturday night on the road despite a big game from Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, Mich.).
Before the game started, the Express was hit with an administrative technical, and Glen Oaks hit both free throws to take a 2-0 lead. However, it energized Owens as the Express executed back-to-back alley-oop dunks from Edmonds to James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.). The momentum continued as the Express took a 17 point lead at the 10:45 and 9:30 marks.
However, Glen Oaks went on a 26-8 run to close the half and took a 42-41 lead into the break. An administrative technical was then issued to Glen Oaks to open the second half, and the Express took the lead back with two free throws from Edmonds. It would set the tone for the rest of the game, as it was back-and-forth until the end. Neither team led by more than three in the second half, while the game featured nine ties and 20 lead changes.
Edmonds fell one made three point field goal short of tying the school record for most in one game as he went 9-for-16 overall from the field and 7-for-12 from three point range. He was also 5-for-7 from the foul line and finished with 30 points, five assists, two rebounds and one steal.
Kelly produced a double-double for the Express as he had 17 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and one block.
The main reason the Express lost was because of the play of Karvel Anderson of Glen Oaks, who finished 14-for-25 from the field, 6-for-11 from three point range, and 3-for-3 from the foul line. He totaled 37 points, three assists and one steal. Aside from Anderson, Alandis Milligan had 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks, while Khalid Jackson had 13 points and eight rebounds.
The Express fall to 8-3 this year, and their next game will be on the road Dec. 9 against Schoolcraft College beginning at 7:30 p.m. Glen Oaks moves to 6-3 with the win.
Friday, December 2
Cincinnati State Women's Basketball Improves to 8-0 With Win Over Muskegon CC
The Cincinnati State Lady Surge stayed undefeated on the season with a 74 to 68 road win over previously undefeated Muskegon Community College in the opening game of the Buffalo Wild Wings Holiday Classic.
With the six point victory, Cincinnati State improves to 8-0 heading into tomorrow's game against Mid-Michigan at 1:00 PM. All games of the Buffalo Wild Wings Holiday Classic are hosted by Muskegon Community College.
Thursday, December 1
No. 3 Lakeland Men's Basketball Improves to 8-0 With Win at Niagara County
Freshman forward Chaz Rollins scored 16 points and pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds to keep the No. 3 Lakeland men’s basketball team undefeated through the month of November with an 87-73 over Niagara County CC on Tuesday night. The Lakers improved to 8-0 on the season, marking the team’s best start ever under ninth year head coach Terry Bowe.
Freshman guard Deran Banton, who has emerged as one of the team’s top options off the bench, added a season-high 15 points in the victory. Classmate Richard Smith finished with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Sophomore Brendan Cooper chipped in with 16 points and 5 rebounds for the Lakers, who shot 47% from the floor and 56% from long range in the win.
Dating back to last season, which included a 2-2 showing at the NJCAA Division II National Championship, Lakeland has won 13 of its last 15 games.
Lakeland Women's Basketball (4-3/0-0) Cruise Past Niagara County, Win Second Straight
Alyson Lee (Cleveland / Villa Angela – St. Joseph) led five players in double-figures as the Lakeland women’s basketball team defeated host Niagara County 78-37 on Tuesday night. The Lakers took a ten-point lead into the locker room but outscored the Thunderwolves 47-16 over the final 20 minutes. LCC improves to 4-3 on the season entering the final month of non-conference play.
Three players recorded double-doubles in the victory. Lee added ten rebounds, five on either end of the floor, to go along with a game-high 17 points, five assists, and seven steals. Sophomore guard Ginny Sanchez (Daytona, Fla.) added a career-high 15 points and 10 assists while classmate Diminika King (Pittsburgh, Pa.) scored 15 and pulled down 12 boards.
Freshmen Emily Brainard (Perry, Ohio / Perry) and Melyssa Kaprosy (Mentor, Ohio / Mentor) added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Shaleah Combs (Cleveland / Collinwood) chipped in with a career-high ten rebounds.
The Lakers forced 33 turnovers, resulting in 36 points on the other end. Lakeland also held a 19-3 advantage in second chance points.
On Thursday, LCC travels to nearby Berea to take on Baldwin-Wallace JV at 7:00 p.m. before returning home on Saturday to face St. Clair at 3:00 pm inside the AFC.