COMEBACK COMMODORES! LCCC Defeats Hocking 92-90 After Erasing 16-Point Deficit

January 28, 2023 - -  Lorain County Community College men's basketball team walked out of Nelsonville with a big road win against the Hocking College Hawks, 92-90.  The victory over their conference foe is their second Ohio Community College Athletic Conference win in four days and their third of the season.

Coming into the contest, the Commodores (9-13, 3-8) had only gotten one road win in nine tries.  They had come close in the past:  A 3-point loss to Bryant & Stratton College on Nov. 30, an overtime loss to Edison State on Dec. 3, and a another 3-point loss to Community Christian College on Dec. 15 before finally breaking through against the Community College of Allegheny County on Jan. 7, 2022.

They traded baskets with the Hawks in the first half and even took a 24-17 lead thanks to Luqman Lateef's (Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw HS) back-to-back assists on a Jayden Roberts (Wellington, Ohio/Wellington HS) baseline jumper and a Brandon Fisher (Strongsville, Ohio/Columbia HS) three ball.  However, Hocking (16-5, 5-3) would come back and take the lead into the half, 48-44. 

Out of the break, the Commodores came out flat.  Hocking built a 10-point lead in the first three minutes and extended it to 16 points with just over 12 minutes to play, 70-54.

The lead didn't last. And the Commodores used seemingly every player on the floor to come back on Hocking.  Casey Kelley (Amherst, Ohio/Firelands HS) found Fisher for a three ball, Roberts made a basket while being fouled, Lem Payne (Philadelphia, Pa./Mount Pleasant HS) made an acrobatic layup after grabbing an offensive rebound, and Austin Copen (Amherst, Ohio/Firelands HS) capped it off when he found Fisher for another three to cut the Hawks lead down to seven in just over three minutes, 75-68.

Payne was everywhere for LCCC.  When they needed buckets, No. 0 came up with big ones and helped create ones as well.  He dished out six first-half assists and finished the day scoring 19 points on 9-of-18 shooting. He scored on a reverse layup to cut the Hocking lead to five, 77-72, with 7 minutes left.  When they needed stops, he was there with four thefts.

With 45 seconds left in the game, Payne hit a 3-pointer to cut the Hawks lead to one, 88-87.   And then on the next possession, he found Fisher in the corner in front of the Commodore bench for a three ball that put LCCC up one, 90-89, with 11.2 left in the game.

On the Hawks next possession following a timeout by LCCC, Fisher and Quante May (Cleveland, Ohio/Horizon Science Academy) both locked up Hocking's Trevell Adams near midcourt to force a jump ball and give possession back to the Commodores.  Fisher drained two free throws and Kelley, celebrating his birthday, grabbed the defensive rebound on a missed free throw by Hocking to seal the win for LCCC.

"This is the way we are capable of playing every game," said Head Coach Marty Eggleston after the win. "Every player left their heart and soul on the floor. I couldn't be more excited for them, a well-earned win."

Roberts finished with 27 points, scoring 14 in the first half and pulled down 13 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Fisher finished with 16 points.

The Commodores will have a chance to do two things with a win on Sunday: Wrap up the month of January with a winning record (5-4) and avenge a tough road loss to Community Christian College.  Tip of is at 1 p.m. in the Ewing Activities Center Gymnasium.