The men hosted Ancilla College, who is ranked 2nd in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II polls, and fell 83-94.
Although the Red Hawks won the tip off, it was a back and forth game right from the start with the score changing hands four times in the first half. Lake Michigan was able to take the lead by six points within the first four minutes but the Chargers were able to force Lake Michigan to commit 10 turnovers. Ancilla was also able to execute at the rim and took an 11 point lead with 3:37 left in the first half. The Red Hawks were held to shooting 37% from inside the paint (14/37), 31% from outside of the perimeter (5/16), but shot 50% (3/6) at the free throw line.
In the second half, Lake Michigan had a difficult time closing the gap against the strong Charger offense. After making several adjustments, the Red Hawks dug deep and battled to be within one point of Ancilla (68-69) before the Chargers had another run. Lake Michigan continued to put pressure on Ancilla and with four minutes left to go in the game were only down by four points (75-79). That's when the wheels began to fall off and the Chargers were able to create plays and obtained an 11 point lead which ended in a 83-94 Lake Michigan loss.
The Red Hawks ended shooting 46% in the perimeter, 30% from the three point range, and 55% from the free throw line. They were able to put pressure on the Chargers that made them commit 10 turnovers on the night.
Bryce Saxton (SO/Cassopolis, MI) led the men with 23 points and also had 3 assists and 1 steal. Gavin Rasler (SO/Niles, MI) and James Smith (SO/Chicago, IL) both scored 19 points while Smith also led with 7 assists, and 6 rebounds.
The men will travel to Kellogg Community College on Saturday, February 3, 2018 at 3:00 pm. The men are currently in 2nd place in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Western Conference with a 7-2 record and a 11-9 overall record.
