By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Toledo, Ohio---Shaakir Lindsey (Teaneck/Teaneck, N.J.) had a team-high 22 points to lead the No. 8 Owens Community College men's basketball team to a 99-92 win over an athletic Schoolcraft College team in the Owens Tip Off Classic championship game at the Student Health and Activities Center (SHAC) tonight.

Both teams shot over 50 percent from the field, but the Express held the Ocelots to a 1-for-15 (6.7 percent) finish from long range in what proved to be the difference in the game.

The Ocelots featured a quick, slashing guard duo of Aveon Simmons and Ronald Booth, who poured in 29 and 22 points, respectively. However, the Express answered with Lindsey and six others who notched double figures in scoring.

In the first half, the Express built a 29-16 lead, which was capped by a lay-up and free throw from Pete Firlik (Catholic Central/Grand Rapids, Mich.) with 11:06 left. The Ocelots responded, though, and trimmed the deficit to three with 2:31 left in the half.

Firlik answered for the Express with a 3-pointer and Kenny Jones (Clay/South Bend, Ind.) hit a jumper to help the Express close the half on a 5-0 run to take a 46-38 lead at the break.

The Express opened the second stanza by scoring the first four points, including an alley-oop dunk with Lindsey tossing it to Jones, to push the Express lead to 12 just a minute into the half.

Schoolcraft wouldn't go away, however, and trimmed the deficit to just two a couple times, tied iit and eventually took a 63-61 lead with 11:33 left. In what would be a theme down the stretch for the Express, they would answer with several big shots. 

As soon as the Ocelots took the lead, Firlik and Lindsey hit back-to-back 3-pointers to help the Express take a 67-63 lead. The Ocelots answered with a jumper from Booth, but Lindsey hit two free throws and Darren Groves (Thurgood Marshall/Dayton, Ohio) hit one of his two second half 3-pointers to push the lead up to seven with 8:41 left.

The teams would go back and forth over the next few minutes, but Booth hit a jumper, a lay-up and a free throw to pull the Ocelots within three with 5:39 left.

Lindsey answered with another big shot, a 3-pointer, on the next possession - followed by an outlet pass from Groves to Edmond Early Jr. (Thurgood Marshall/Dayton, Ohio) that made it 86-78 with 4:54 left.

The Ocelots scored the next six points and just wouldn't go away. Clinging to just a two point lead with 1:47, Groves bullied his way to an offensive rebound and putback for a four point lead. Early Jr. followed with a lay-up and the lead was back to six with just under a minute left.

Lindsey then converted a 3-point play and hit four additional free throws in the final minute to seal the game.

Lindsey finished a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line on the way to his 22 points. Groves added 15 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block as all five starters notched double figures. John Murry (North Central/Indianapolis, Ind.) had 12 points and a team-high six assists, along with five rebounds. Early Jr. and Jones rounded out the starting lineup with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Off the bench, Firlik had 13 points and six rebounds, and Justin Baker (Cathedral/Indianapolis, Ind.) scored 11 points and added five assists and two rebounds in just his second collegiate game. That duo combined to shoot 10-for-15 overall and 3-for-6 from 3-point range off the bench.

The Express shot 56.2 percent from the field overall compared to 53 percent for the Ocelots. Each team struggled from the foul line as the Express finished 16-for-28 (57.1 percent) and the Ocelots finished 3-for-10 (30 percent).

The big difference making stat, though, was from the 3-point line. The Express shot 11-for-22 (50 percent) compared to 6.7 percent for the Ocelots.

The Express are now 3-0 this year and will host Wayne County Community College at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. They will then host Muskegon Community College at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Ocelots fell to 2-1 with the loss.

Aside from the law firm of Simmons and Booth, Schoolcraft got 15 points from Ja'Christian Biles and 10 points from Davon Taylor off the bench.

Notes

Lindsey, who shot 82.1 percent from the foul line last year, is 12-for-13 (92.3 percent) to start this year.

Twenty of Lindsey's 22 points came in the second half. He finished 4-for-7 overall (3-for-3 from 3-point range) and 9-for-9 from the foul line in the second half alone.