Jan. 6, 2025, ALPENA, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College Raiders women's and men's basketball teams completed a season sweep of Alpena Community College Lumberjacks on the road Saturday, earning decisive wins in Alpena after also taking both matchups in Grand Rapids on Nov. 12. In that first meeting, the women won 101–55 and the men prevailed 103–81.

Women: GRCC 92, Alpena CC 45

The Raiders snapped a two-game skid in emphatic fashion, rolling to a 92–45 victory to improve to 11–5.

GRCC delivered season-best numbers across the board, shooting a season-high 44.2% from the field while forcing a season-high 53 turnovers and recording 34 steals.

Defense has been the program's calling card all season, as opponents are now averaging nearly 30 turnovers per game, compared to just 17 for the Raiders.

All 12 Raiders scored at least two points, with five players reaching double figures:

• Harmonie Belton led the way with 13 points, 6 assists, and 7 steals.
• Tianna Daye and Sophia Wozniak added 11 points apiece with two assists each.
• Lydia Schilthroat posted a career-high 11 points and grabbed a game-high 8 rebounds.
• Averi Peot chipped in 10 points, 5 rebounds, and a career-high 9 steals.
• Emma Picarazzi contributed 4 points, 5 rebounds, and a team-high 3 blocks.

GRCC opens conference play at Kellogg Community College Bruins on Friday, Jan. 10 at 1:00 p.m.

Men: GRCC 85, Alpena CC 84

The Raiders also snapped a two-game losing streak on the men's side, improving to 10–4 with a thrilling 85–84 win that featured a frantic final half-minute.

Alpena rallied late after trailing by as many as 15 in the second half, pulling within six at 84–78 with 29 seconds left. The Lumberjacks then hit a three-pointer and followed with a steal that led to a fouled three-point attempt, converting all three free throws to tie the game at 84 with 15.1 seconds remaining.

On the ensuing possession, GRCC turned the ball over, but Alpena immediately gave it back. EJ Bowman found Tyran Thomas wide open in the paint, and Thomas was fouled with 1.5 seconds left. He split the free throws to put GRCC ahead 85–84, and after a timeout, Alpena was unable to get a shot off before the buzzer.

Six Raiders scored in double figures:

• EJ Bowman paced GRCC with 18 points, 7 assists, and 4 steals.
• McRecco McFadden added 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting (1-for-1 from three).
• Jared Demoff grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds and dished out a team- and career-high 9 assists.
• Matt Richards recorded a season-high 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals.

The Raiders men also open conference play at Kellogg CC on Friday, Jan. 10 at 3:00 p.m., following the women's game.

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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.