The Grand Rapids Community College women’s basketball team returned to the Ford Fieldhouse for the first time in two weeks on Wednesday night to take on Kalamazoo Valley Community College. The contest was tightly contested for all 40 minutes, but the Raiders never surrendered the lead, eventually beating the Cougars, 73-66, with sophomore guard Tia Richard leading the squad with 23 points.
The Raiders came out of the gate hot against KVCC, opening with a 10-3 lead within the first four minutes, but turnovers limited their scoring for the rest of the quarter, finishing with only 15 points. The Raiders turned the ball over six times in the opening frame, but their defensive performance kept them in front, limiting KVCC to just 4-11 from the field and causing the Cougars to turn it over seven times, resulting in just 13 points. Both teams knocked down three 3-pointers in the first quarter, but the Cougars were able to do so in just four attempts, compared to the Raiders’ eight attempts.
The second quarter remained closely contested between the two teams, separated by two points once again, with the Raiders outscoring the Cougars 19-17, giving GRCC a 34-30 lead going into halftime. It was an efficient second quarter for GRCC, shooting 7-14 from the floor and 4-6 from three. Richard led the way in scoring for GRCC in the second quarter, scoring 10 of her 23 on the night in a scoring outburst that saw the sophomore score eight straight Raider points, including multiple 3-pointers. Sophomore forward Ava Schultz added five points in the second quarter including her second 3-pointer of the night. GRCC was outrebounded 11-4 in the second quarter, but were able to limit KVCC’s points once again by forcing seven turnovers.
The Raiders carried their red-hot 3-point shooting into the third quarter, finishing 4-6 from beyond the arc that charged their 19-point third quarter. It was a balanced scoring effort in the third quarter for GRCC, Richard and Schultz both added 3-pointers. Freshman guard Tianna Daye also made two 3-pointers. GRCC held their own defensively once again in the third quarter, holding KVCC to 5-12 from the field, while forcing at least six turnovers for the third straight quarter. The Raiders outscored the Cougars 19-14 in the frame and took a 53-44 lead into the final quarter.
KVCC saved their best for last, putting together their highest scoring and most efficient quarter, scoring 22 points on 9-13 shooting. With just under six minutes left in the fourth quarter, KVCC was able to cut the Raiders lead to just three points. But it was as close as the Cougars would get for the remainder of the game, thanks to the balanced offensive output from the Raiders’ starters. Just two minutes after the lead was cut to three points, the Raiders went on a 9-1 scoring run to give them an 11-point lead with four minutes left to bury any doubts of losing.
Despite the Cougars’ best offensive quarter, the Raiders were able to counter with their highest-scoring quarter of the game as well, putting up 20 points 7-14 shooting, while knocking down five free throws. GRCC was able to limit their turnovers in the final quarter, turning the ball over only three times.
Overall, the Raiders had one of their more efficient games of the season, finishing the game 27-57 from the field and 12-24 from three. A big factor in the Raiders’ win was their ability to force turnovers and how they capitalized off of them. GRCC themselves committed 16 turnovers, but they were able to force 23, and off of those 23 turnovers the Raiders scored 31 points. In comparison, the Cougars scored just 17 points off the 16 Raider turnovers. A 14-point difference off turnovers in a seven-point win was the key to success in the Raiders’ fifth win.
Richard led the team in scoring with 23 points on 9-18 shooting while adding along six assists and five steals. Schultz posted a double-double in the win over KVCC, scoring 14 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Daye knocked down four 3-pointers in her 14-point performance that helped propel the Raiders to a win. Richard, Schultz, and Daye combined for 10 of the 12 Raider 3-pointers, with each player hitting at least three of them.
The Raiders’ next opponent is Lansing Community College, who will enter the matchup on a six-game winning streak and an overall record of 16-4. The game will be on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. in Lansing. It will be the first of three games on the road for GRCC, before they play at home on Wednesday, Feb. 12 against Southwestern Michigan College.
