Red Hawks Fall Short In Defensive Battle

The Skippers got off to a fast start when two offensive rebounds were kicked out for early three pointers and they took a 7-0 lead. The Red Hawks answered with two threes of their own by sophomore Devan Nichols and freshman Darian Henderson. The Red Hawks were plagued on the boards and struggled to shut SC4 down in the paint throughout the first half. The struggles inside were offset by some outside shooting as Lake Michigan connected on five threes in the half, but still trailed 35-28 heading in to halftime.

The second half showed better balance from the Red Hawks, who were able to cure their rebounding struggles and play even with the Skippers around the rim. Nichols and freshman Jaden Croom lead the offense in the second half, combining for 24 points and doing much of their damage from the free throw line, as they were 11-17 combined from the line. The Red Hawks used this to chip away at the Skippers lead, and with just under a minute to play, Nichols connected on a three to narrow the margin to just three points going down the stretch.

In the closing seconds, the Skippers adjusted their defense and were able to lock down Lake Michigan, forcing a tough fade away three from Nichols with just two seconds to play. The Skippers collected the rebound and held on to the three-point margin, 68-65, for the win.

The Red Hawks were led by Nichols' 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, while freshman Jordan Marble added 14 points (4-6 from three-point range) and three rebounds. Croom contributed 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 steals. The Red Hawks head to #6 Schoolcraft on Wednesday, November 20^th, 2019 for a 7:30 pm tip-off.