The Grand Rapids Community College Raiders welcome the Mid-Michigan Community College Lakers for a Men’s-Women’s basketball doubleheader in Gordon Hunsberger Arena on Wednesday night in a Michigan Community College Athletic Association Western Conference matchup.
The first game features the women’s teams of each program, GRCC comes into tonight’s game in a difficult spot at 3-4 in MCCAA play, and 10-7 overall. On the flip side of the coin, the Lakers are in a three-way tie atop the MCCAA Western Conference with Ancilla Community College and Muskegon Community College boasting an impressive 6-1 record in MCCAA play and a blistering 13-2 on the campaign.
Raiders to watch for in this game are the usual suspects – sophomore forward, Makayla Beld, freshman guard, Hallee Breimayer, sophomore guards Qua Draper and Claire Flewelling and freshman forward, Mya Jordan.
Head Coach Dave Glazier will need his squad to play one of their best games to take down the Lakers tonight, and they are very capable of playing tough games and keeping up with teams that look better on paper. Glazier has said throughout this season that his favorite attribute of his team is that, “they just never quit.”
The second matchup of the doubleheader is the men’s game between the Raiders and the Lakers. The Raiders are currently riding a two-game winning streak, and both of those games have been won in excess of 20 points. They currently sit at 5-3 in MCCAA play and 13-6 overall with 10 games left to play in the regular season. The Lakers are an even 4-4 in the MCCAA and are 10-7 on the campaign.
The Lakers have been able to win the majority of their games that they’ve played on the road and hold a 6-3 away record. They will certainly have their hands full when sophomore guards, Curtis Davison, Anthony McIntosh and Zach Pangborn lead the Raiders onto their home floor where they are a near-perfect 8-1 on the season.
Davison, McIntosh, Pangborn, along with freshman guard, Sammie Ryans, who is coming off a 35-point performance in his last game on Saturday against Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and freshman forward, Diego Robinson, look to take care of business against the Lakers. The biggest key for the Raiders is to play as a collective team. On occasion, they play selfishly and make a lot of small mistakes that turn into bigger ones down the road. If Head Coach Luke Bronkema’s team can avoid those mistakes and play together, the Raiders could be in for another 20-point victory.
