By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---The Owens Community College men's and women's basketball teams are in the middle of a pivotal week that will play a large part in this year's conference championship races.
The action tips off on Wednesday with a home doubleheader vs Lakeland Community College in the SHAC beginning with the women's game at 5:30 p.m. The men's game will follow 20 minutes after the conclusion of the women's contest.
The No. 6 Express women's basketball team (19-2, 5-1 OCCAC) will take on a Lakeland Community College team looking for their first conference win. The Express defeated the Lakers 92-39 on the road Jan. 22.
In that game, the Express saw the duo of Eboni Adams (Maple Heights/Cleveland, Ohio) and Kamilah Carter (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.) combine for 40 points, led by 22 from Adams. Imani Vickers (Mansfield Senior/Mansfield, Ohio) chipped in a then season-high 12 points off the bench. Carter added six steals, while Paige Wright (Northrop/Fort Wayne, Ind.) had six assists.
The biggest difference in the first matchup was turnovers as the Express only committed six, while the Lakers had 28.
In OCCAC play, Carter is averaging a team-high and conference third best 20.3 points per game, with Ashley Tunstall (Huber Heights Wayne/Dayton, Ohio) at 13.7 per game and Adams at 12.7 per game. LaKayra Carlisle (Pershing/Detroit, Mich.) is leading the team in rebounding at nine per game, while Wright (6.7 assists per game) leads in assists. Carter and Tunstall each average a team-high 1.8 steals per game in conference play.
Melanie Primer, who had 10 rebounds in the first matchup, is leading Lakeland with 13 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in OCCAC play.
Overall, the Express will be looking to remain in sole possession of first place in the conference, win their second straight game and pick up the team's 20th win of the season. A win would mean the program's fifth straight season of 20 or more wins and it would give head coach Mike Llanas his 225th career win.
Meanwhile, the No. 8 Owens men's basketball program will look for their eighth straight win when they take on a Lakeland Community College team that has fared well at Owens in recent memory.
The two teams also have a recent history of big games in regular and postseason play. The two teams have met in the past two district championship games with each team winning one apiece, while the Express defeated the Lakers 76-72 earlier this season on the road. In that game, though, the Express had to erase a nine-point deficit with 3:39 left to pick up the win.
In addition to that regular season history, Owens head coach Dave Clarke and Lakeland head coach Terry Bowe have met four other times, with the teams splitting them.
In the road win at Lakeland earlier this year, the Express got a team-high 19 points from John Murry (North Central/Indianapolis, Ind.), but it was Bikramjit Gill (Our Ascension of the Lord/Toronto, Ontario, Canada) that stole the show. The sophomore produced 16 points, tied the program's single game rebounding record with 21 and added four blocks. Tony Boykins (Loy Norrix/Kalamazoo, Mich.) also added 16 points in that contest.
Murry (the reigning back-to-back winner) and Gill have combined to give the Express four straight conference player of the week winners. Murry is the conference's second leading scorer with 21.7 per contest, while Gill's 17 points per contest is sixth best.
Lakeland's Marcus Fleming, who averages 17.4 points per game in conference play, is the OCCAC's fourth best scorer. Gill, meanwhile, is the conference's leading rebounder (14.6/game) and blocked shot leader (3.2/game).
Since conference play began around the nation, Gill is also the nation's second best rebounder, and he is tied as the nation's best shot blocker.
Shaakir Lindsey (Teaneck/Teaneck, N.J.), who had 22 points in the team's most recent win over No. 17 Sinclair Community College, is 12th in the OCCAC in scoring at 13.7 per game, while also leading the conference in assists at 7.7 per game. He is the nation's sixth best assist producer since the beginning of conference play.
Andy Bachman (North Side/Fort Wayne, Ind.) gives the Express four players in the top 15 in scoring as he checks in at 12.5 per contest in the conference.
In the last matchup between the two teams, Lakeland was led in scoring by Ahmid Williams with 16, while Rasheed Howard added 12. Kenneth Evans and Michael Davidson each also scored 10.
The Lakers are currently 12-10 overall and 4-3 in OCCAC play, but their three losses have come by a combined 14 points, including a four point loss to the Express and a three point loss to Sinclair.
The Express men, meanwhile, are looking to remain undefeated in OCCAC play. They are currently 19-4 overall and 6-0 in OCCAC play. They have won seven straight overall, and they have won eight straight regular season OCCAC games dating back to last year.
Notes
Both games will be broadcasted by local TV station BCSN, with the women's game being show live and the men's game on tape delay. Additionally, both games will be live streamed on the internet for free via NJCAA TV at ihigh.com/owenscc. Geoff Roberts will announce both live stream games.
You can follow live game updates online at our official Twitter page (@owensexpress), and we will post box scores immediately following each game at OwensExpress.com. We will then post full game recaps, along with photos and post game video at OwensExpress.com after both games are complete.