By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---Shondell Jackson (Warren Harding/Warren, Ohio) and Ty'Rese Searles (Cornerstone/Pontiac, Mich.) each scored a team-high 17 points as the Owens Community College men's basketball team pulled away from Lorain County Community College down the stretch in a 94-85 win in the Student Health and Activities Center (SHAC) tonight.
With the win, Owens improved to 11-5 overall and 2-1 in Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) play, while Lorain County fell to 9-5 overall and 2-3 in OCCAC play. Owens will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to Columbus State Community College for a 3 p.m. matchup.
Lorain County, which led 44-43 at halftime, got a layup from Mike Rell with 12:49 left that gave his team a 64-62 lead, but Owens responded with six straight points behind a pair of baskets from Rico Stafford (Lima Senior/Lima, Ohio) to take the lead.
From there, Owens never trailed again, but it wasn't easy. Kevin Kelley's 3-pointer pulled Lorain County within one with 9:32 left, but Marquevious Wilson (Lima Senior/Lima, Ohio) answered with a 3-pointer that bounced straight up and then back down through the net.
Lorain County's Jarred Schultz made a layup with 6:56 left that pulled his team back within three, but James Grays (Start/Toledo, Ohio) hit a jumper that started another 6-0 run for Owens. Jackson capped the run with four straight points to give Owens an 80-71 lead with 5:41 left.
Lorain County followed with the game's next five points, but a trio of free throws, including two from Searles, gave Owens a seven-point lead. The closest Lorain County got after that was five on three occasions.
Searles, who finished 4-for-8 from the field and a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line, and Roy Hatchett Jr. (Glenville/Cleveland, Ohio) each made key layups down the stretch.
The game featured seven ties and 11 lead changes.
Stafford finished 6-for-7 from the field to finish third on the team in scoring with 15. He added six rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Jamerson, who had nine of his 14 points in the second half, added 12 rebounds, three blocks and two assists for his second straight and fourth double-double of the season.
Hatchett added 13 points, six assists and three steals. Grays scored a season-high nine points, and Wilson flirted with a triple-double before finishing with eight points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
TJ Steele led Lorain County with 22 points. Schultz added 16 points and nine rebounds off the bench. The two teams will meet again at Lorain County on Feb. 8.
NOTES
Jamerson is now just 23 points away from 700 in his career. The sophomore guard, who has signed with NCAA Division I Norfolk State University, has made at least one 3-pointer in all 47 career games, and he is inching closer to breaking the program's career records for 3-point field goals made and attempted in a career. He needs 17 more made 3-point field goals and 30 more attempted 3-point field goals to do the trick.