Grand Rapids, MI – GRCC’s men’s basketball team will have their work cut out for them tonight as they take on the NJCAA’s #3 Glen Oaks Community College at 7:30PM at the Hunsburger Arena inside GRCC’s Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse.

GRCC’s Raiders are 12-8 overall in 2012-13 and taking on a Viking team which is currently riding a 20 game winning streak.

Thus far the Raiders are 1-3 against ranked opponents as they fell to perennially outstanding and #1 ranked Mott Community College 76 -79 in the first contest of the year and then to Region IV powerhouse South Suburban Community College—then ranked 3^rd, now 5^th—80-89.

GRCC’s loss to South Suburban left them at 7-3 overall on the year, and 0-2 against ranked opponents, but redemption was a mere week away as they were slated to face the NJCAA’s #3 Kalamazoo Valley Community College on January 5^th.

The Raiders capitalized on that opportunity and edged out Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Cougars in dramatic fashion 82-62, and climbed back into the National Polls on January 8th at #19 since they’d fell out the week of November 27^th from the #10 spot.

The following week GRCC would face Glen Oaks who was also creeping up the national ranks as GRCC worked their way back into the spotlight.
Glen Oak’s Vikings started this season unranked following a 17-14 season in 2011-2012.  While that record is not inherently that impressive, Glen Oaks was only a game away from facing GRCC for the opportunity to play in the NJCAA Division II District 8 Finals that season.

 Ultimately, the Vikings were eliminated from the District 8 tournament in the semi-final game after a dramatic four overtime loss to Jackson Community College 102-106.

GRCC’s scrappy team ultimately defeated Jackson 74-70 in the District 8 Finals to clinch a berth into the 2012 NJCAA National Tournament.

On January 12^th GRCC’s 19^th ranked Raider squad traveled to Three Rivers, MI to take on the then #6 ranked Vikings and lost decisively 61-79.

That loss again dropped the Raiders out of the national polls while pushing Glen Oaks up two spots to #4.

Since the their last meeting on January 12^th, GRCC’s Raider team has gone 4-3 in conference play while Glen Oaks has knocked off all seven of their conference foes.

That said, tonight’s contest is no gimmie for the visiting Viking team.  GRCC has reared its head up again and again in the national polls and is fully capable of exacting revenge tonight on their home court.  While the upset win will require hard work, GRCC has a roster fully capable of pulling it off.

GRCC sophomore Alex Mustert s game since the break has upped his game tremendously.   Mustert is averaging 17 points and 9 rebounds per game and has recorded a double-double in 6 of the last 10 games.

Freshman Deontae Hudson is also posting impressive figures in 2012-13 averaging 19 points and 7 rebounds per game.

Kevin Badger is posting 12 points per game with 5 assists and 4 rebounds and Daryl White s contributions are noteworthy as well.  White averages 8 points per game with just over 5 rebounds in 2012-13 but those numbers are on the rise given his last couple performances.

Glen Oaks is not short of outstanding players either.  As a team, Glen Oaks ranks in the 5 of the NJCAA’s top 20 statistical categories including, points, assist and steals per game.

Three players on the Viking’s roster average over 10 points per game while one, Will Powell, posts a cool 20 point average.

GRCC holds but one NJCAA top 20 statistical average—opponent’s field goal percentage.  In that regard, they hold their opponents to a meager 37.4%, 5^th best in NJCAA Division II.

By the numbers Glen Oaks’s Viking team may have a more advantages, but in the end, GRCC’s Raiders have far too much too much talent and too much at stake to not step on the court tonight with an expectation other than delivering a win in front of their home crowd.

Tonight’s game starts at 7:30PM.