By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Kirtland, Ohio---The Owens Community College men's basketball team outscored Lakeland Community College 21-6 over the final seven minutes last night to pick up a crucial 92-88 win on the road.
Lakeland's Chris Scott scored nine straight points to give his team an 82-71 lead with 7:14 left. At that point, Derrik Jamerson Jr. (Cornerstone/Pontiac, Mich.) converted a layup, which was followed by back-to-back 3-pointers from Roy Hatchett Jr. (Glenville/Cleveland, Ohio) and Jamerson to pull Owens within five with 5:24 left.
Then, with 4:41 left, Scott left with an injury and Owens continued to rally. Charles Penn III (Macomb Dakota/Detroit, Mich.) converted a steal into a pass for Xavier Cochran (Huron/Ann Arbor, Mich.), who hit a fast break layup, which was followed by a 3-pointer from Jamerson with 3:02 left that tied the game at 84 apiece.
Cochran and Hatchett then totaled four free throws to complete a 12-0 run that gave Owens an 88-84 lead with 1:36 left. At that point, Scott returned from injury and hit a layup, which was followed by a Brooklyn Simms layup to even up the game with 54 seconds left.
Simms then had a chance to give his team the lead with 47 seconds left, but missed a jumper. Dae'Shawn Jackson (Springfield/Springfield, Ohio) grabbed the rebound, was fouled and hit both free thrwos for a two point lead. Then, after a stop, Hatchett nailed a jump shot just inside the 3-point line for a 92-88 lead.
Lakeland tried to answer quickly on the other end, but late blocks from Jamerson and Cochran prevented that as the clock ran out.
Overall, the game featured plenty of runs as the teams were tied eight times and had the lead change five times. Lakeland opened the game by scoring 12 of the first 14 points. Owens rallied, led by two at halftime, and eventually led by nine with 18:15 left in the second half. Lakeland then answered back to lead by as many as 11 before Owens rallied once again.
Both teams shot very well on the night. On their home court, Lakeland finished 31-for-71 (43.7 percent) from the field, including an 8-for-22 (36.4 percent) finish from 3-point range. They also made 18-for-22 from the foul line.
On the other end, Owens went 29-for-68 (42.6 percent) from the field, including an 11-for-33 (33.3 percent) finish from 3-point range. They also shot 23-for-26 from the foul line.
Jamerson led Owens with 23 points, 10 rebounds (five offensive), two assists, one steal and one block. Penn III added 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Cochran added 13 and Dilyn Good (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) had 10.
Hatchett finished with nine points and seven rebounds, while Ty'Rese Searles (Cornerstone/Pontiac, Mich.) chipped in eight points and three assists.
Scott led Lakeland with 26 points and 10 rebounds (seven offensive), while Jay Thomas added 24 points and seven rebounds. Frank Barber (13) and Mike Smith (10) also hit double figures. Simms led all players with nine assists.
Owens, the winner of three straight and 10 of 12, is now 16-11 overall and 8-4 in OCCAC play. They control their own destiny in terms of the conference's No. 2 seed in the upcoming district tourney. With wins over Lakeland at home and Cincinnati State on the road, Owens would host the No. 7 seed in a district quarterfinal matchup.
Lakeland falls to 14-12 overall and 6-5 in OCCAC play with the loss.
Notes
Jamerson's double-double is his fourth of the season.
Penn III came within one point of tying his season-high in scoring. He has reached double figures in four of his past six games.