Grand Rapids, MI—After a pair of huge wins over the Vikings of Glen Oaks Community College, the Raiders are prepping to host Muskegon CC. The men and women will look to extend their winning streaks over the ‘Hawks, both the men and women teams having defeated them on the road earlier this season.
The women are riding high after a streak of rock solid outings. Despite having lost 2 of their last 3 games, the girls appear to be playing at the top of their game.
Raider Sophomore Meghan Mitchell has stepped forward in the absence of high scoring teammate, Stephanie Stevens. Since Stevens succumbed to injury Mitchell has boosted her game at both ends of the court. Meghan put up a season high 17 points against the nationally ranked Kalamazoo Valley Cougars and nearly matched the mark with 16 as the Raiders powered past Glen Oaks. Defensively she’s been averaging 5 boards per game over the last 3 contests.
A look at the men’s statistics over their last 4 games, of which they’ve won 3, reveal that absolutely everyone on the team is contributing.
The always dangerous Kevin Badger posted a season high 21 points in a win over Kellogg CC, Willie Duke is finding his offensive form with an average of just over 12 ppg over the last three contests, and Devin Longoria is raining threes on opponents. Despite looking like Shaq from the free-throw line, Deontae Hudson is playing like a beast of biblical proportions. Hudson was dynamic in GRCC’s defeat of Glen Oaks on Friday afternoon, knocking down 19 points along the way.
All of this equates to some exciting basketball for the remainder of the season, starting Wednesday night.
A pair of wins would keep both the men and women’s teams in playoff contention. The women currently are tied for 5th in the West, just 2 wins ahead of Muskegon. A win would put them one step closer to the Conference tournament.
The men are on the cusp of clinching a playoff berth, and a win over Muskegon just might be enough to put them over the edge. Currently in 4th place, the men are one win ahead of Jackson CC. Jackson, however, has one game in hand.
The Raiders are set to host Muskegon on Wednesday evening in the Gordon Hunsberger Arena at the Ford Fieldhouse. The women take the court first at 5:30 followed by the men at 7:30.
