By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Toledo, Ohio---The No. 8 Owens Community College men's basketball team came out flat and never truly recovered in a 93-88 loss to Delta College in the Student Health and Activities Center (SHAC) tonight.

With the win by Delta (4-2), Owens (5-1) suffered its first loss of the season. Owens was without the services of Shaakir Lindsey (Teaneck/Teaneck, N.J.), Edmond Early Jr. (Thurgood Marshall/Dayton, Ohio) and Nate Harris (Central Catholic/Toledo, Ohio).

Just like the team's last game, which was also without those three, Justin Baker (Cathedral/Indianapolis, Ind.) stepped up in the first half and had a team-high 10 points at the break on a perfect 4-for-4 from the field (2-for-2 from 3-point range). 

Baker, however, like most of his teammates, got into first half foul trouble. Every member of the starting lineup had two fouls in the first half, while Austin Somerfield (Greenville/Greenville, Mich.) had three. Cameron White (Bowsher/Toledo, Ohio) even had two off the bench.

Delta's Markel Bradshaw (11 first half points) and the rest of his teammates used that advantage to close out the first half on a 7-0 run. Dilyn Good (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) buried a 3-pointer to tie the game at 41-all with 1:26 left in the half, but Delta made three straight field goals to close out the half with a 48-41 lead.

In the second half, Bradshaw opened the scoring with a jumper to give Delta a nine point lead. Owens, which picked up the intensity to begin the half, then started chipping away in a back-and-forth final 20 minutes.

A Kenny Jones (Clay/South Bend, Ind.) jumper cut the Owens deficit to four with 17:39 left, but Delta stretched it back to eight moments later. Delta's Donte Jackson hit a jumper with 14:10 left to push the lead back to nine. Owens cut it back down, only to have Dan Stanback hit a 3-pointer with 10:53 left for a 72-65 Delta lead.

Darren Groves (Thurgood Marshall/Dayton, Ohio) hit a lay-up and a 3-pointer, and Murry followed with a lay-up to tie the game up at 74-all with 8:29 left.

Then, with the game tied at 76-all, CJ Bussey (Central Catholic/Toledo, Ohio) hit a 3-pointer from the corner and Murry added another lay-up to give Owens an 81-76 lead with 5:41 left. Delta, however, answered with a 10-0 to take their own five point lead with 3:27 left.

After Bradshaw hit a pair of free throws to close the 10-0 run, Murry scored five straight points via a 3-pointer and two free throws to tie the game at 86-all with 2:04 left.

What followed was, perhaps, the turning point in the game. Owens forced a missed lay-up from Delta's Juilan Henderson and Jones grabbed the defensive rebound. However, he lost the ball and Delta took possession.

Delta called a timeout and got a mid-range jumper from Henderson to take the lead for good. Henderson added two free throws on the next possession after Groves missed a 3-pointer on the other end. After another empty possession by Owens, Bradshaw made two more at the foul line for a six point lead.

Owens got two free throws from Murry to trim the deficit to four, but Bradshaw made 1-for-2 at the foul line with just seconds left to seal the game. Owens turned it over bringing the ball back up the court and Delta dribbled out the clock to pick up the win.

Bradshaw finished with a game-high 26 points, although Murry wasn't far behind with 24 points. Assisting Bradshaw for Delta was Henderson (13 points), Stanback (11 pts, 10 reb) and Justin Person (10 points). 

Assisting Murry, on the other hand, was Groves (13 pts), Bussey (12 pts) and Baker (12 points). Bussey and Baker, however, fouled out in the second half and weren't able to play down the stretch.

The game featured 50 combined fouls and 38 combined turnovers.

Owens will be back in action this weekend in the Monroe College tournament on Saturday and Sunday. They open with a semifinal matchup against Monroe College at 2 p.m. on Saturday.