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After wind chills delayed the game by a day, the Lakeland Community College Lakers pulled into the East Campus of Cuyahoga Community College to play the Triceratops in an Ohio Community College Conference Athletic Conference (OCCAC) showdown.
Despite a cold start, the Triceratops would stomp on the Lakers 70-58 in the crosstown rivalry matchup.
The Triceratops came into the game with a 9-7 overall record and a short bench. Freshman Artica Conner was coming off injury and eligible to play but was not going to be part of the normal rotation against the arch rival this evening. With only six players for a rotation, the Triceratops had their hands full taking on the 4-5 Lakers and still got the win by playing as a team.
“We only had seven players dressed but only six played,” Tri-C coach Dion Griffin pointed out after the game. “We credit that to the coaches who worked with the coaches who worked very diligently with the guards and bigs on passing, rebonding, and all of the fundamental techniques.”
Both teams looked rusty and there was no score until 8:30 left in the first quarter when Tri-C guard Briana Bunkley got the Triceratops on the board with a layup inside.
The game wouldn’t see another score until Lakers guard Hilda Ismail took advantage of a turnover to tie it up 2-2 with 7:24 left to go in the first quarter. The Lakers would eventually take the lead when a blocked shot by Lakers guard Lauren Perry led to a fast break and an easy layup to go up 4-2.
The Lakers would eventually go on a run to go up 10-6 with 2:22 left in the first thank to buckets by Monica Devine and Trinty Jackson.
The Triceratops would eventually cut the deficit to three thanks to a three-ball shot by Tori Smith and an inside layup by Bunkley towards the end of the first quarter to make it a 14-11 Lakers lead.
After a Trinity Jackson score put the Lakers up 16-11 early on in the second quarter, the Triceratops had opportunities at the free throw line to creep back into it. Just as it was cold outside the day before, the Triceratops struggled at the charity stripe as Sophomore Forward Quimari Shelton would go 1-4 in two consecutive trips to the free throw line.
Despite struggling at the free throw line, baskets by Tri C which included a three ball by sophomore Dariah Kirksey would make it a one-point deficit as Lakeland led 18-17 as the quarter approached the 5:45 mark.
Thanks to some defensive stops and rebounds, Tri-C would eventually stomp their way back into the game and tie it 21-21 with about four minutes left to go in the second quarter. Brianna Bunkley was responsible for scoring the tying basket and had seven points to her name on the stat sheet at that point.
A quick steal and slick passing from Tri-C Center Marybella Dunlap to Quimari Shelton would give the Triceratops a 23-21 lead with 2:15 left in the second quarter. It was the first time they had led since the beginning of the game.
It was the spark that the Triceratops needed to get the momentum.
“I feel like our defense really really played a key part in tonight’s victory overall,” Tri-C co-head coach Dion Griffin commented after the game. “Rebounding also played a key factor in that game.”
A steal for two fast-break points by Kirksey and a three ball by freshman Zarina Fader helped give Tri-C a 28-21 lead late in the second quarter. Despite giving up a bucket underneath right after, the Triceratops held a 28-23 lead at half time.
Coming out of halftime, Tri-C would come out playing zone defense and would frustrate the Lakers early on. Despite Lakers guard Trinity Jackson scoring four points early on, the Triceratops would go on a six-point tear to go up 34-27 with seven minutes to go in the third quarter.
“We were able to contain [the Lakers) because we were defensively sound, “commented Tri-C co-head coach Jasmine Frierson. “We were able to take the opponent off their game.”
Despite her team being down, Jackson was the leading scorer for the Lakers at that point with 12 points.
Even though the Lakers would get two quick scores to cut the Tri-C lead to three, the Triceratops quick passing and two quick inside buckets by Quimari Shelton would put Tri-C up 38-31 with 4:22 left in the third quarter. A three ball in the corner by Tori Smith would give Tri-C a ten-point lead with less than four minutes to go. It was the largest lead Tri-C had at that point in the game.
Lakeland head coach Ornette Gardenhire was forced to take a timeout with 2:36 left in the third as Tri-C had a 43-34 lead at that point. Leading the way for the Triceratops in scoring was Quimari Shelton with 13 points.
Shelton would continue to stomp all over the Lakers late in the quarter by scoring four unanswered points to give Tri-C a 48-34 lead going into the final quarter. Shelton would have 18 points to her name and was the leading scorer for the Triceratops at that time.
The Lakers would show some fight with a quick score by Batoul Khaleefah and along with some free throws from Mya James and a three ball from Lauren Perry, Tri-C only lead 51-42 with 8:12 left in the fourth quarter.
Shelton would drive to the basket with 7:36 left in the fourth quarter to give Tri-C a 55-43 as she got the hoop and the foul. A technical foul was called on Lakers Lauren Perry for arguing with the officials. Shelton and Smith would sink free throws to increase the Tri-C lead 58-43.
Perry would later get ejected from the game for continuing to argue calls and was called for a second technical with about five minutes left to go in the game.
Despite frustration setting in on the Lakeland bench, Tri-C managed to keep their cool and avoid any technical fouls.
“Playing Tri-C basketball [helped us keep our cool],” commented Tri-C co-head coach Jasmine Frierson. “We instill in the girls to continue to play, play, play at the end.”
In an odd series of events, Tri-C’s Quimari Shelton would foul out with 55 second left in the game and was the leading scorer for the Triceratops.
Tri-C’s defense would contain the Lakers for the rest of the quarter and the Triceratops would take down Lakeland 70-58.
With the win, Tri-C improves to 10-7 overall.
Player of the Game
24 – Quimari Shelton – Tri-C – 26 points
