Lady Red Hawks Win Another Conference Road Game

Lake Michigan College got off to a great start by taking a quick 7-1 lead. But a few unforced turnovers by the Lady Red Hawks, including in the last 10 seconds of the first quarter, allowed Jackson College to fight back and pull with three points (17-14) at the end of the quarter.  The second quarter was a back forth between both teams which saw the exchanging of scores on successive possessions, with turnovers being committed by both teams. The Lady Jets outscored the Lake Michigan 17-16 in the second quarter and the Lady Red Hawks held a 33-31 advantage going into halftime.

At the start of the third quarter, Lake Michigan scored quickly and extended their slim lead, but Jackson College would not quit and eventually fought back to take a one-point lead mid-way through the quarter. For the remainder of the quarter, both teams once again exchanged baskets and even though Jackson College outscored the Lady Red Hawks 23-22 in the third quarter, the Lady Red Hawks entered the final quarter with a 55-54 lead. In the fourth quarter, Lake Michigan began to settle down on defense and forced the Lady Jets to miss shots they were hitting much of the night.  The Lady Red Hawks also hit some key free throws and some big shots from the outside the three-point line to extend their lead to 11 points, which was their largest lead of the game.  Again Jackson would not go away and continued to fight back, but the Lady Red Hawks held on for the final 81-74 win. With the loss, Jackson College who was previously unbeaten in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) Western Conference fell to 4-1.

After the game, Head Coach, Patrick Daniel stated "This was a game where we had to play through some things and this team showed a lot of heart and pride to pick up a very good road conference win.  Every night in this conference can be a tough game and tonight, I am so proud of how these ladies responded and met the challenge in front of them."

For the game, Lake Michigan shot 42% (30-72) and Jackson College shot 41% (28-69).  The Lady Red Hawks also out rebounded Jackson College 49 to 42.  Lake Michigan also had 23 assists, 15 steals, 7 blocks and forced Jackson College into 22 turnovers.

Four players scored in double figures led by Delaney Basker with 21 points.  Samantha Jenkins had 16 points while Jayla Bibbs added 12 points and a game high 14 rebounds, six steals, and three blocks.  Taylor Cegelis chipped in 10 points and Monae Palmer led the Lady Red Hawks with a game high seven assists. Lake Michigan is now 12-4 overall and 4-1 in the MCCAA Western Conference.

Lake Michigan returns to action on Friday, January 18, 2019 when they travel to play Grand Rapids Community College with a 5:30 PM tip off.