Lumberjacks Fall Short in Thriller Against Raiders
The Alpena Community College Men’s Basketball team put up a valiant fight in a nail-biting contest against the Grand Rapids Community College Raiders at Park Arena, ultimately falling 85-84 in a game that came down to the final possession.
The Lumberjacks (1-9) showed resilience throughout, battling back from an early deficit to keep the game within reach against the Raiders (10-4). GRCC led 42-34 at halftime, but ACC mounted a strong second-half push, outscoring the visitors 50-43 after the break. Despite the close finish, a late rally wasn’t enough to secure the win for the home team.
Derian Williams led the charge for ACC with a game-high 32 points on 11-of-21 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line. Williams also contributed 2 assists, 4 steals, and 1 rebound in 37 minutes of action. Oliver Duthler added 10 points and 6 rebounds, while Kobe Johnson chipped in 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist. Gary Reed provided a strong presence on the boards with 8 rebounds to go along with 6 points and 3 assists.
On the GRCC side, E.J. Bowman paced the Raiders with 18 points, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 4 rebounds. McRecco McFadden came off the bench to score 17 points on efficient 7-of-8 shooting, and Nate Keill added 13 points. Tyran Thomas and Matthew Richards each scored 11 points, with Thomas knocking down two three-pointers.
Key moments defined the game’s intensity. Early in the first half, Bowman opened the scoring with back-to-back two-point field goals, but ACC responded with steals from Williams and points from Johnson, including a free throw to narrow the gap to 15-10. The Raiders built their halftime lead with three-pointers from Thomas, assisted by Bowman. In the second half, ACC’s defense forced turnovers, including steals by Williams, leading to transition scoring. A late foul by Reed and a turnover by Johnson in the closing minutes proved costly, allowing GRCC to hold on for the one-point victory.
ACC shot 45.1% from the field (32-of-71) and 43.8% from three (7-of-16), while going 76.5% (13-of-17) from the line. The Lumberjacks outrebounded GRCC 37-41 but committed fewer turnovers (15 to 19). GRCC countered with 47.6% field goal shooting (30-of-63) and capitalized on 17-of-29 free throws.