WARREN, Mich. – An injury and late-game foul trouble left Macomb Women's Basketball in a tough spot as the visiting Raiders of Oakland Community College (OCC) did enough to hold on to a 65-62 victory over the Monarchs Saturday (Feb. 12) at the Sports & Expo Center. The loss sends the Monarchs to 11-11 on the season and 4-7 in the MCCAA East. With the three-point victory, OCC moved their record to 16-7 overall and 7-5 in MCCAA East action.
In all, Saturday's hard-fought game featured five ties and three lead changes and saw each team lead by as many as 10 points.
The Monarchs came out strong and battled from the opening tip to take an 11-7 lead after 10 minutes of play. The Monarchs held OCC to three field goals on 25% shooting in the opening quarter to earn the 11-7 advantage. The defensive battle continued in the second quarter with OCC edging the Monarchs in the period by a narrow 13-12 margin. After a defensive-minded opening 20 minutes, the Monarchs would take a 23-20 lead into the halftime break.
Valina Hudgins (Warren, Mich./Lincoln) was a huge reason the Monarchs led at the half as the second-year freshman pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and tallied seven points through 20 minutes of action.
OCC started the second half strong and went on to outscore the Monarchs 22-13 in the third quarter to take a 42-36 lead into the fourth quarter. In the end, the final quarter would go in OCC's favor as the visitors held off a late Monarchs rally to exit Warren with the three-point win.
DeBraya Edwards (Detroit, Mich./Roseville) had another strong all-around game for the Monarchs as the sophomore posted a game-high 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting in the narrow setback. Edwards added seven points, five assists and four steals in 39 minutes of action. Amy Jackson (Flat Rock, Mich./Flat Rock) added 12 points and four steals in 34 minutes, while Valina Hudgins built off her strong first half performance to total 11 points and 10 rebounds in a full 40 minutes of work. Chante Hudgins (Warren, Mich./Lincoln) hauled in seven rebounds and added four points and a pair of blocks to round out the top performers from Saturday's league tilt.
The Monarchs, shorthanded late due to an foul trouble and an injury, remained without key contributor Imani McGlown (Clinton Twp., Mich./L'Anse Creuse) for the second straight game.
Key Stat: OCC took home the one-possession win behind a 22-of-27 effort from the free throw line. The Monarchs converted on 18 of their 28 opportunities from the charity stripe.
The Monarchs, battling for a spot in the upcoming NJCAA Region XII Great Lakes District B Tournament, will face another quick turnaround when they travel to Delta Monday (Feb. 14). The Valentine's Day showdown will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. in University Center, Mich.
