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Image of team huddle at Mott Community College. The score is listed in the right hand margin with each team's logo. Lakers: 80 and Skippers: 86.
Posted: Mar 08, 2024

Second Half Comeback Falls Short in Semi-Final Round of Great Lakes District Tournament

Men's basketball found themselves in a rematch with the Saint Clair County Community College Skippers, this time the stakes were much higher than the first go around. The first matchup took place at Morey Courts, and was the non-conference season opener. The Lakers and Skippers battled the first 40 minutes, and ultimately needed 5 more minutes of overtime to settle the winner. The Lakers bested the Skippers in the overtime period. This time, the two teams matched up with increased stakes. This time the winner would earn a spot in the final round of the Great Lakes District tournament, one win away from earning an automatic bid to the NJCAA National tournament. 

The Lakers got off to a fast start, finding open looks and being aggressive on the offensive end. They held a 20-12 lead nine minutes into the game. The Skippers battled their way back the remainder of the first half, and eventually grabbed a slim 37-36 lead over the Lakers with just over a minute to play in the half. The teams traded baskets, and Delon McCloud knocked down a triple to beat the buzzer to knot things up at 39-39.

The second half featured some high intensity, fast-paced basketball. The Lakers played in transition, and defended well for a majority of the half. The Skippers went on a 14-4 run midway through the second half to take a 73-61 lead over the Lakers. When it felt like the game was slipping away, the Lakers answered the bell. Devin Watts hit threes on back to back possessions to cut the lead down inside double digits to 8. McCloud hit a three to cut the lead down to 4 with 1:04 to play. The teams traded a few baskets down the stretch, and the Lakers fell short in their strong comeback efforts. The Skippers prevailed 86-80 to advance to the final round of the Great Lakes District C Tournament. 

Devin Watts hit big time shots down the stretch, leading the team in scoring with 21 points on 8-12 shooting, including 5-8.  Watts also contributed 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. James Wright and Delon McCloud each went for 16 points in the game. James Wright flirted with a double-double with 9 rebounds to go with his 16 points. Wright shot an efficient 6-11 from the floor. McCloud shot 6-12 from the floor and 4-9 from three in his 16-point scoring effort. McCloud added 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Nick Ellis rounded out the double digit scoring for the Lakers with 14 points. 

Men's hoops finished their season with a record of 21-8. The season marks two consecutive seasons amassing 20+ wins, and consecutive trips to the Great Lakes District tournament semi-finals.

The loss to the Skippers will prevent the men's hoops of getting an automatic bid to the national tournament. The Lakers will await their destiny to see if they will be awarded an at-large bid from the NJCAA, a new addition to the NJCAA DII National Tournament field. The NJCAA Basketball Selection Show will take place on Tuesday, March 12th at 2:00 PM for the DII Men's Basketball tournament. The tournament bracket will be unveiled live on the NJCAA Network.