Dec. 12, 2025, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College men's and women's basketball teams opened the inaugural Dave Selmon Classic in impressive fashion Friday at GRCC, earning a pair of victories over Oakton (Ill.) College to continue their strong early-season play.
Women's Basketball
The Raider women authored a dramatic comeback, defeating Oakton 57–48 to improve to 9–3 on the season, while the Owls fell to 9–3.
GRCC held a slim 15–14 edge after the first quarter, but Oakton closed the first half on an 11–4 run to take a 30–25 lead into the break. The visitors then opened the third quarter with a 10–0 run, extending their advantage to 40–25 — their largest lead of the game.
A free throw by Trinity Starling with 4:35 remaining in the third quarter finally snapped a lengthy scoring drought and ignited a Raider rally. Trailing 42–29, GRCC clamped down defensively, holding Oakton scoreless for the next eight minutes while going on a 13–0 run.
A three-pointer by Harmonie Belton gave the Raiders a 45–44 lead with 6:28 left in the fourth quarter, and GRCC would not trail again. The Raiders dominated the final period, outscoring Oakton 23–6 to secure the comeback win.
The Raider bench played a key role, outscoring the starters 31–26. Belton led GRCC with a season-high 17 points (7-of-14 FG, 3-of-8 3FG), while Avery DePagter added 11 points, knocking down three three-pointers. Emma Picarazzi led the team with eight rebounds, and Lydia Schilthroat paced the Raiders with four assists.
Men's Basketball
The GRCC men followed with a commanding 90–53 victory over Oakton, improving to 9–2 on the season as the Owls dropped to 6–6.
The Raiders trailed for just 24 seconds all night and built a lead as large as 39 points. GRCC showcased its depth and balance, with 13 different players scoring at least two points.
Sophomore Zeek Jackson led all scorers with 20 points (7-of-14 FG, 3-of-5 3FG, 3-of-4 FT) and added a game- and career-high 12 rebounds. Lucas Pitsch contributed 11 points (5-of-10 FG, 1-of-2 3FG) and seven rebounds.
GRCC shot 45 percent from beyond the arc (13-of-29), including a perfect 3-for-3 performance from Landen Reister, who finished with a career-high nine points. The Raider bench matched the starters with 45 points each.
Up Next
Both teams return to action Saturday on Day 2 of the Dave Selmon Classic, hosting South Suburban College at the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse. The women tip off at 3:30 p.m., followed by the men at 5:30 p.m. South Suburban enters the men's matchup ranked 13th in the nation after a 95–60 win over Montcalm earlier Friday.
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