By Vincent Khan
UNIVERSITY CENTER – Delta College’s men’s and women’s basketball teams both were victorious against Alepna Community College on Feb. 4. The men’s team finished with a score of 86-79, and the women’s team of 70-60.
Delta College women’s basketball team
The women’s team was a borderline blowout as usual. Eight of their 11 wins have a winning margin of 10 points or more. The team sits fourth in their division and looks to finish the season strong to punch their ticket into the playoffs.
First-year coach Sabra Wimberly has cultivated a culture where she wants athletes with great posture who work hard, lead, and have a high motor.
There were 22 steals by the Pioneers on defense. Sophomore Destiny Harrison was the star of the game, one steal shy of a triple-double which is no easy feat in the game. Even more impressive about the stat line is that she achieved her triple-double with steals, rebounds, and points, instead of with assists, points, and rebounds.
Delta College men’s basketball team
Delta College men’s basketball team continues to grow and evolve throughout the season. After their win against Alpena Community College on Feb. 4 they sit at a record of 6-13.
As the clock hit zero, coach Vincent Turner described the win with words like “perseverance” and “scrappy.” Turner’s heavy character coaching style helped the team grab the lead four minutes into the game and keep the lead throughout the whole game. This win marks Delta’s second pair of back-to-back wins this season.
Sophomore Jacob Carlson was the one who gave the Pioneers the lead early with his 3-point shot only four minutes into the game. Carlson is averaging 38% from 3 point this season which is on par to what a top 50 player in the NBA would average for 3 pointers.
Throughout the first half, sophomore star Jermaine Lawrence got into foul trouble early and it resulted in him being benched for the majority of the first half. His athletic presence was missed but was brought back in the second half where he returned to the game bringing back the “dog” mentality to the team with two monster dunks keeping the momentum on Delta’s side.
Freshman guard Markel Martin is the one who sealed the deal for the Pioneers with his two clutch free throws with five seconds left in the game which solidified the win before the clock struck zero.
