By Jack Walker
For the second time this season, the Grand Rapids Community College men’s basketball team took on Mid-Michigan College, this time in Mount Pleasant. The game remained relatively close through the first 20 minutes, but a monstrous second-half performance by MCC resulted in GRCC suffering their worst loss of the season, 127-84.
The first half was a back-and-forth offensive battle with both teams shooting above 50% from the field. GRCC committed seven turnovers and MCC knocked down two more 3-pointers than the Raiders, which proved to be the difference in the half, as MCC would enter halftime up 52-48. Despite how close the score was, GRCC only led for 52 seconds the entire half.
Sophomore guards Joe Francis, Darrell Belcher, and Tristan McRoberts were all able to add at least 10 points each. The three sophomores have been a big part of GRCC’s run down the late stretch of the season.
The second half of the game was a polar opposite of the first half. It was GRCC’s worst half of the season. MCC was able to put up a whopping 75 second-half points, while GRCC scored 36 points, good for a 39-point difference. The Raider’s previous worst margin in a half was 26, in a game against none other than Mid-Michigan College.
GRCC shot a poor 12-34 from the field (35.4%) and 1-12 from three (8.3%). GRCC committed 10 second-half turnovers, bringing their total on the night to 17 turnovers. MCC only committed two turnovers, bringing their total on the night to five, a 12-turnover difference between the two teams. GRCC also allowed 10 offensive rebounds in the second half, while only grabbing three of their own.
Turnovers and offensive rebounds allowed are a simple formula for the opposing team to take more shots, which is exactly what MCC did in the second half, taking 14 more shots than GRCC, and making 16 more field goals than GRCC. Overall, MCC finished 51-90 from the field (56.7%) and were able to score 30 points off of Raider turnovers, along with a staggering 70 points in the paint.
The largest loss of the season is not what the Raiders needed at this point of the season. The Raiders currently hold an 11-12 record (3-5 in conference play) and currently sit in fifth place out of eight teams in the Northern Conference.
The Raiders’ next game will not be an easy task, as the team faces 21-2 Bay College, the last remaining undefeated team in the Northern Conference. The two squads matched up last month, with Bay College squeaking out a 10-point win, 88-78. Bay College will enter the matchup on a blazing nine-game win streak. The game will take place at the Ford Fieldhouse on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 3 p.m.
