Kalamazoo, MI—The Raiders earned a big win over the weekend, powering past the Cougars of Kalamazoo Valley Community College by a score of 82-62. The 20 point landslide victory is all the more impressive considering that prior to the loss, KVCC had climbed from 7^th place to 5^th overall in the NJCAA’s DII polls.

The Raiders functioned like a well-oiled machine. The always dangerous Deontae Hudson had another huge game, netting 22 points and making 2 steals. Teammate Alex Mustert continued his strong play down low, and added another 18 points for the Raiders. Mustert added 11 boards to earn a double-double on the day.

Of course, to defeat a nationally ranked team, a solid defensive effort is required. The Raiders, although only 8 strong, they have no shortage of defensive specialists. Miles Robinson not only scored 11 points, but grabbed 8 defensive rebounds and had 2 blocks, Daryl White grabbed 9 defensive boards, had 2 blocks and 1 steal, and Nate Hollenbeck grabbed 8 rebounds to go along with his pair of blocks. The Raiders kept KVCC leading scorer, Dae Mitchell-Fields to only 11 points.

The victory brings the Raiders to an 8-3 mark on the season. The game was their first in conference play, and with a slew of conference games scheduled in the near future, the team is looking confident. At this point last season, the national tournament qualifying Raiders earned a 6-5 record, following the mark by winning 12 of their final 16 regular season games. Although the season is still young, this year’s squad appears to be poised for even more success. GRCC takes the court next on Wednesday when they’ll travel to Battle Creek to take on the Bears of Kellogg Community College.