By Kevin Lopez
In the opening round of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II National Tournament in Port Huron, the Grand Rapids Community College women’s basketball team went up against their toughest opponent all season, the Community College of Baltimore County-Essex, on March 21 and it did not go the Raiders’ way as they lost 40-87.
Nothing went right for the Raiders in the first quarter as they struggled to score and seemed a bit stilted as their opponent, who was 32-1 going into the tournament, went on a 12-0 run to start the game. In fact, GRCC didn’t score until the 4:15 mark of the game as Marlene Bussler, a sophomore guard, got the offensive rebound and hit a mid-range jumper.
That was the only basket the Raiders scored in the first quarter as GRCC struggled to get their offense running with the shot clock going down and many unforced turnovers that put the Raiders in a hole as the Knights took advantage by knocking down three 3-pointers and playing very aggressive defense as GRCC trailed 2-18.
The second quarter is where the Raiders began building some momentum as they turned up the defense on the Knights by forcing them to take many bad 3-point attempts that resulted in airballs and thus allowed a surge in their offense as the Raiders scored 18 points in the quarter led by Bussler who scored 10 points.
Still, the Raiders didn’t take advantage of the opportunity they created cutting the lead down to nine points, but neither team scored for a two minute stretch, which killed the momentum that GRCC had as in the final seconds of the quarter the Knights made a 3-pointer to continue their led as the Raiders trailed, 20-34.
Moving into the third quarter, it all fell apart for the Raiders as they committed seven turnovers due to the Knights trapping and forcing tough passes that were picked off. This helped the Knights score 31 points in the quarter.
Emersyn Koepke, a sophomore guard, was able to knock down two 3-pointers in the quarter and Grace Lodes, a sophomore forward, was able to score down low in the post for six points, but still wasn’t enough for the Raiders as they continued to trail 34-65.
The fourth quarter wasn’t any better for the Raiders as they only scored six points and there was no chance for a comeback as the Knights continued to score, racking up 22 points in the quarter.
Still, the Raiders kept fighting and supporting one another as the bench continued to give effort on the defensive end and cheer for each basket on the offensive end. Unfortunately, the game did not go as the Raiders hoped as the buzzer sounded to end the game, 40-87.
GRCC’s head coach Dave Glazier was proud of how the team continued to fight despite the score.
“Overall, I was happy with our effort and that we didn’t let up even when their lead got to 20 or more,” Glazier said. “The team we played today is the most talented group we’ve faced all year, which is why they are a 2 seed.”
Glazier is hoping to move past the loss and wants his team to stay focused on the next game.
“Our message moving into our game at 9 a.m on Thursday is to continue to be ready and focused on the challenge in front of us,” Glazier said. “Which is for us to win and advance in the tournament and play on Saturday.”
The Raiders continue to move forward as they play the North Central Missouri Lady Pirates, who are 23-7, on March 23 at the SC4 Fieldhouse in Port Huron at 9 a.m.
