News

By Ryan Schlehuber, MCC Sportwriter  |  Photo by Laurie Shaffer

The Delta Community College Pioneers used a 20-5 fourth quarter scoring run to pull away from host Montcalm Community College Centurions, winning 71-42, Wednesday, Feb. 19, completing a season series sweep.

The Centurions were only down 43-39 early in the fourth quarter, but that’s when the Pioneers suddenly opened up their offense, starting with a made jump shot by Hailee Jefferson with 7:19 to go. That began a 20-0 scoring run, which MCC finally snapped when Emily Putnam (Sidney, Mich.) sank a three-pointer with 2:47 to go in the game, with Delta leading 63-42.

Despite the last-quarter breakdown, the Centurions, who were playing with only six players, showed a big improvement in Wednesday’s game against the Pioneers compared to their 113-47 loss at Delta, Jan. 29, holding the Pioneers to 14 points in the first quarter and outscoring them 20-10 in the second.

“Playing with six girls and the other team having a deep bench, they just wore us down,” Centurions Head Coach Scott Pedigo said. “I thought we played a great first half. We were able to take the lead at halftime, and later, we were down 12 and managed to cut it to four. But we just ran out of gas at the end.”

Pedigo said the Centurions also ran into foul trouble, with freshman forward Emma Rewa (Greenville, Mich.) fouling out and two other of his players – freshman guard Hannah Reed (Cedar Springs, Mich.) and Madi Longoria (Wyoming, Mich.) – each played with four fouls down the stretch. With only one reserve player, Pedigo said things could’ve been worse.

“We were close to having to play with just four players on the court,” he said.

The Pioneers (6-6 MCCAA Northern, 9-15 overall) took a 12-3 lead over the Centurions (2-10 MCCAA Northern, 3-18 overall) to start the game, however, MCC cut Delta’s lead to 14-7 by the end of the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, MCC’s offense began heating up, cutting Delta’s lead to two on a pair of free throws by Longoria with 8:44 to go in the half. The teams traded baskets at that point with MCC taking its first lead of the game with 1:07 to go in the half when Putnam sank back-to-back free throws, giving the Centurions a 24-22 lead.

By halftime, it was anyone’s game, as the Centurions held a 27-24 lead over the Pioneers thanks to a three-point make by Putnam with nine seconds to go before the break.

However, at the start of the second half, Delta took off on a 17-2 run over the next six-and-a-half minutes to establish a 41-29 lead until Pedigo was forced to call a timeout. It wasn’t until 2:29 minutes left in the 10-minute quarter when MCC finally responded, a pair of made free throws by freshman forward Emma Rewa (Greenville, Mich.).

“When we’re shorthanded like we were, I try and reserve timeouts as best as we can,” Pedigo pointed out. “I’m so proud of them, though, for how they’ve fought and the hard work they put in every night.”

MCC pulled within six – 41-35 – after Reed sank both of her free throws with just under a minute to play in the quarter. Putnam finished out the third-quarter scoring sinking a pair of free throws, setting up the fourth-quarter situation where MCC was down only four points.

In the fourth quarter, MCC’s scoring was a jump shot by sophomore guard Makenna Rautio, which made it 43-39 Pioneers with eight minutes to go, and a three-point make by Putnam with 2:47 to go in the game, making the Pioneers’ lead 63-42.

Putnam led MCC with 15 points and also had eight rebounds. Rautio scored eight points and led the team with 12 rebounds, all on the defensive side, while Reed and Longoria each finished with five points.

Delta was led by Ja’Leeah Griggs, who had 16 points, Jefferson finished with 11 points and 18 rebounds, and Kayla Howell had 10 points. Amari’A Campbell rounded out the Pioneers’ top performances with eight points and 11 rebounds.

For the game, Delta shot 38.6% (27-of-70) from the field to MCC’s 23.1% (12-of-52), and outrebounded the Centurions, 49-28.

UP NEXT: With two regular season games left, the Centurions can still clinch an MCCAA postseason tournament berth if two things happen – if there are no upsets with the top three teams in the division and if the Centurions can win out, which would secure the fifth and final spot in the division.

MCC’s next game is a road trip to Petoskey against North Central Michigan (3-9 MCCAA Northern, 4-22 overall), Saturday, Feb. 22, which tip-off is 1 p.m. MCC lost to NCMC in their first match up, 75-64, Feb. 1.

MCC will then finish out the regular season at home against Kirtland Community College (3-9 MCCAA Northern, 4-15 overall), Wednesday, Feb. 26. Tip-off will be at 5:30 p.m. The Centurions took the first match-up, a 55-51 win on the road, Jan. 25.

“These next two games will be about pride and we’ll have to find ways to dip deep,” Pedigo said.