By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---The Owens Community College men's and women's basketball programs are both having great seasons as they look to extend streaks tomorrow on the road.
The No. 6 Express women's basketball team will take on Columbus State Community College. The Cougars enter the game 14-3 overall and 2-2 in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC).
The Express, on the other hand, are 18-1 overall and 4-0 in OCCAC play. Alone in first place, they have won 18 straight games overall and 11 straight in OCCAC play. Should they defeat Columbus State tomorrow, the team will break the program's all-time winning streak record.
In addition to all that, No. 1 Johnson County Community College lost on Wednesday. Thus, the Express women are now tied with No. 8 Chesapeake College for the nation's longest overall win streak.
As a team, the Express are first in the OCCAC in points per game (86.8), field goal percentage (45.5), 3-point field goal percentage (33.8), assists per game (21.5) and blocks per game (4.2). They are also second in rebounds per game at 49.8.
Individually, the Express have four players averaging in double figure scoring in conference play. Kamilah Carter (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.) leads the way at 20 per game (3rd in league), followed by Eboni Adams (Maple Heights/Cleveland, Ohio) at 16 per game (6th in OCCAC), Ashley Tunstall (Huber Heights Wayne/Dayton, Ohio) at 12.2 per game (13th in OCCAC) and Paige Wright (Northrop/Fort Wayne, Ind.) at 10.8 per game (18th in OCCAC).
Other statistical leaders for the Express in conference play are Tunstall (8.8 rebounds per game, 5th in OCCAC), Wright (6.8 assists per game, 1st in OCCAC), Carter (39.1 3-point field goal percentage, 4th in OCCAC) and Tunstall (54.3 field goal percentage, 3rd in OCCAC).
In the team's last game, an 80-57 win over Edison Community College, Wright had a triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
Carter, a sophomore point guard, has tallied 365 points this year. Should she score 27 points tomorrow, she will move into the top 20 in single season scoring at Owens. She averages 19.2 points per game overall this year. Carter has the potential to become only the third Express women's basketball player ever to score 600 points in a single season.
Columbus State, which provides a tough road challenge for every team entering their gym each year, has three of the four top players in conference play in field goal percentage.
On the men's side, the No. 15 Express men have achieved a 17-4 record overall so far, including a perfect 4-0 OCCAC record. They are in sole possession of first place this late in the season for the first time in 10 years.
The Express have won five straight and 11 of 12 overall.
The trio of Bikramjit Gill (Our Ascension of the Lord/Toronto, Ontario, Canada), John Murry (North Central/Indianapolis, Ind.) and Shaakir Lindsey (Teaneck/Teaneck, N.J.) have led the Express in conference play.
Gill is seventh in the conference in scoring (17.7 per game), first in rebounds (14 per game) and first in blocks (4.7 per game). He adds 1.3 steals per game and is the reigning back-to-back conference player of the week.
Murry is the team's leading scorer overall and in conference play. He is second in the OCCAC in scoring at 20 points per contest, while adding 4.2 rebounds per game.
Lindsey, meanwhile, is leading the conference in assists at 6.5 per contest, while adding 12.2 points per game, which is good for 14th in the OCCAC. He totals three rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, as well.
In addition to those three, Tony Boykins (Loy Norrix/Kalamazoo, Mich.) and Andy Bachman (North Side/Fort Wayne, Ind.) each average over nine points per game in OCCAC play.
As a team, the Express are second in OCCAC play at 87.8 points per game.
Columbus State's men's basketball team is 8-8 overall and 1-3 in OCCAC play. The two teams will meet at 3 p.m. tomorrow.