Lady Jacks Lose Conference Opener

ALPENA, Mich. – The Alpena Community College women's basketball team dropped its conference opener to visiting Muskegon Community College 68-51 on Saturday afternoon at Park Arena.

The Lumberjacks (4-8, 0-1) struggled to find their rhythm early as the Jayhawks (6-6, 1-0) jumped out to a 19-11 lead after the first quarter. Muskegon's balanced attack and strong rebounding advantage proved to be the difference throughout the contest.

Muskegon established control early behind the play of sophomore guard Kamrin Ward, who dominated the paint with 8 offensive rebounds and dished out 6 assists while scoring a game-high 27 points on 12-of-27 shooting. Ward was instrumental in the Jayhawks' 19-point first quarter, which set the tone for the afternoon.

The Lumberjacks battled back in the second quarter, outscoring Muskegon 15-11 to cut the halftime deficit to 38-26. Sophomore guard Saige Flaugher provided a spark with aggressive drives to the basket and hit a three-pointer during the run.

However, ACC struggled mightily in the third quarter, managing just 9 points while Muskegon added 11 to extend their lead to 49-35 heading into the final period. The Lumberjacks shot just 32.2% from the field for the game and were unable to overcome the Jayhawks' 22-9 advantage on the offensive glass.

Saige Flaugher led all Lumberjacks with 21 points, adding 7 rebounds and 4 assists in 40 minutes of action. The sophomore also went 7-of-12 from the free-throw line and connected on 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Brooke Portice provided a strong presence in the paint with 11 points and a team-high 16 rebounds, including 14 defensive boards. Lillie Maser contributed 10 points and 8 rebounds in the losing effort.

The loss drops ACC to 4-8 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Muskegon improves to 6-6 and 1-0 in the conference standings. The Lumberjacks look to snap their four game losing streak on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at Kirtland.