PHOTO GALLERY

Dec. 8, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College men's and women's basketball teams picked up two wins against Hope College junior varsity on Thursday, with the women outlasting the Dutch 71-69 in double overtime and the men dominating to stay unbeaten with a 90-66 victory.

The women's team played from behind nearly the entire night, trailing by as many as 15 in the game, but surged their way back with big play after big play down the stretch in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore guard Alyssa Katerberg hit a three pointer with 1:48 left in regulation to tie the game and on the next possession she would put the team up for the first time since early in the first quarter with a free throw to make it 55-54. Emersyn Koepke made it a two-point game, but Hope would force overtime with a bucket with 27 seconds to go.

In the first overtime, with the team down two, Marlene Bussler drove through multiple Dutch ladies to make a layup with 12 seconds left and the Raider defense didn't allow a shot off to force the teams to a second overtime. 

Sally Merrill scored final go ahead bucket with 27 seconds left in the game and then held on to her career-high 21st rebound just as the final buzzer sounded after a miss three-pointer by the Dutch.

Grace Lodes recorded a double-double with 13 points and 18 rebounds while adding a career-best six assists. Bussler finished with a team-high 22 points and Katerberg finished with 12 points.

The men's team cruised to their ninth straight win to start the season, forcing 16 turnovers while only having eight giveaways. 

Freshman guard Jajuan Walker nearly had a triple-double posting 18 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists.

Freshman Bashir Neely was the game's leading scorer finishing 12-of-24 from the floor for 29 points.  He also had a team-high eight assists and four steals.

Jordan Houser dropped in 18 points, while Chris Coleman scored 16 and Seth Schuitema added nine. 

Both teams return to the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse on Dec. 10 for a match-up against former Western Conference rival Lake Michigan College.  The women will tip-off first at 1:00 p.m.

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Interested in supporting GRCC Athletics?  All donations can be done through GRCC Athletic's Scholarship Fund and can specify what scholarship fund the gift is going to, such as the Hofmann scholarship. If you have any questions on how to support Athletics at Grand Rapids Community College, contact the Athletic Department via phone at (616) 234-3883 or email grccathletics@grcc.edu. Any support is appreciated and goes towards assisting our student-athlete scholarship funds.
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