By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Dearborn, MI---A late first-half run, along with some solid individual performances, helped lead the Express to a 65-61 win over Henry Ford Community College Thursday night.

Jay Marquette (Central Catholic/Toledo, Ohio) led the Express early. The freshman guard hit a three to start the scoring for Owens. He then proceeded to score eight of his team's first 16 points and finished the first half with 11 points, six rebounds and two steals.

Much of the first half was closely contested and back and forth. However, the Express then used a 16-4 run over the final two minutes and forty seconds to take a 39-29 lead into the half.

With his team down 25-23, Taronta Cole (Gulfport/Gulfport, Miss.) hit a jumper from the left corner on an assist from Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, Mich.) to start the run. Edmonds then scored 11 of the next 14 points to close the half as he had two 3-pointers, a layup and three free throws. Milan Mabry (Bowsher/Toledo, Ohio) also hit a 3-pointer during the run.

The Express would start the second half strong as they stretched their lead to 14 with 17:26 remaining. Henry Ford battled, though, and cut the lead to four with 1:01 left, but Edmonds went end-to-end to hit a layup and draw a foul. He would make the free throw to give the Express a seven point lead. Henry Ford then cut the lead to three with five seconds left, but Jeff Burroughs (Belleville/Belleville, Mich.) hit a free throw with four seconds left to seal it. The Hawks missed a 3-pointer as time expired.

Edmonds would end up leading the Express in scoring with 22 points. He added six rebounds, three assists and two steals, but the star of the night may have been James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich). The freshman forward battled Henry Ford's 6-foot-11 center James Still throughout the game and finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks, three steals and one assist. Eight of his rebounds were on the offensive end.

Marquette finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals.

As a team, the Express struggled from the field and from the line. They finished 25-for-80 (31.3%) overall, 6-for-28 (21.4%) from 3-point range, and 9-for-19 (47.4%) from the foul line. Henry Ford also struggled from the 3-point line going 4-for-17 (23.5%), but helped themselves with a 15-for-18 (83.3%) performance from the foul line.

The Express (2-0) will next play Nov. 11 against Kellogg Community College at 8 p.m. in the Owens Tip Off Classic. Henry Ford gets a rematch against Owens the following day at 7 p.m.