Mar. 4, 2026, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. – The NJCAA Great Lakes District Tournament tipped off Tuesday night at Grand Rapids Community College, as both Raider basketball teams hosted Lake Michigan College in first-round action. The women advanced in convincing fashion, while the men saw their season come to a close.

Women Cruise Past LMC, Advance to Semifinals

The Raiders improved to 20-9 overall with an impressive 81-54 victory over Lake Michigan College.

GRCC came out strong, scoring the first seven points of the contest. After LMC responded with a 12-3 run to briefly take the lead, the Raiders regrouped and closed the first quarter ahead 21-18. From there, GRCC took control — outscoring the Red Hawks by 14 in the second quarter and 10 more in the third to put the game out of reach.

Sophomore Averi Peot delivered one of her most complete performances of the season, leading the Raiders with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 11 rebounds for her third double-double of the year. She also paced the team with three blocks and three steals while adding three assists.

Sophia Wozniak added 14 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Harmonie Belton filled the stat sheet with eight points, six rebounds, a game-high seven assists, and three steals. Tianna Daye chipped in 11 points, knocking down three of her five attempts from beyond the arc.

With the win, GRCC advances to face former conference rival Bay College in the district semifinals on March 6 at 11 a.m. The game will be played at Mott Community College in Flint.

Men Fall in Quarterfinals, Finish 20-9

The Raiders' men's team battled but fell 98-89 to Lake Michigan College, closing the season with a 20-9 record.

After spending much of the season in first place in the conference before ultimately finishing third, GRCC dropped its final three games to conclude the year.

The Raiders opened the game on an 8-2 run — their largest lead of the night — but LMC answered and reclaimed the advantage at 17-16 with 12:46 remaining in the first half. GRCC managed to tie the game twice but was unable to retake the lead the rest of the way.

Despite winning the rebounding battle decisively, 55-38, turnovers proved costly once again. The Raiders committed 25 turnovers compared to just 10 by LMC.

Four sophomores closed out their Raider careers in double figures. Matthew Richards recorded 10 points and a game-high 15 rebounds while tying for the game high in assists (4) and blocks (2). The two-time conference Player of the Week finished his career with 10 consecutive double-doubles and averaged a double-double this season at 13.9 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.

Tyran Thomas added 16 points, nine rebounds, and two steals, finishing the season with 307 points (third on the team) and 134 rebounds (fourth). Nate Keil matched Thomas with 16 points and added seven rebounds and three assists. Keil led the team in scoring this season with 453 points, averaging 16.3 per game, while shooting 54 percent from the field, 39 percent from three-point range, and 78 percent from the free throw line.

Gaden Muxlow contributed 12 points, hitting four three-pointers, and freshman McRecco McFadden added 11 points, six rebounds, and two blocks.

Postseason awards will be announced in the coming week, and after a strong 20-win campaign, the Raiders are expected to be well represented among the conference honorees.

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