Olivia Moe | The Collegian

Olivia Moe | The Collegian

Olivia Moe
Sports Editor

Despite the high energy and cheering of fans in attendance for their first home game, the Lorain County Community College Commodore women’s basketball team fell to the Henry Ford Community College Hawks, 66-43 during the game held on Nov. 5. . LCCC’s current record, after a weekend tournament on Nov. 7-8, is 1-3.

It wasn’t the brightest outcome for their first home game, but the team is certainty not throwing in the towel just yet.

“We are a pretty close team because we believe in each other,” stated Molly Linn, one of LCCC’s guards and a freshman from Lagrange, about the future of the team.

“As a team we need to work on making cleaner and smarter passes and just relaxing more on the offensive end,” she added.

Lead by head coach Tony Naples and assistant coach Paul Wasmundt, the team has several goals for the season. These range from working on basic required skills and maintaining good grades by the end of the semester as well as the beginning of the following spring semester.

“Our [major] goal this season is to qualify for regionals,” Linn said.

The first half ended with the Hawks taking a lead of 31-22 and a total of six fouls compared to the seven that LCCC accumulated. Due to the shot clock needing repairs nearly four minutes into the game, the teams had more time in the first half (nearly 10 minutes) to regroup and plan out strategies for the remainder of the game.

The Commodores displayed a handful of three pointers; layups and techniques of blocking that gave the team something to stand on at various points of the game. However, the same amounts and then some when it came to overdone and off target passes and several layups that didn’t benefit the team.

“We fought hard the last 5 minutes but the game got away from us early in the second half so it was hard for us to come back after that,” said Linn, on the outcome of the game.

The second half started off kind to the Commodores, but unfortunately the Hawks took advantage of several missed passes and layups on the Commodores’ part and went on from there to take the victory 66-43.

Both teams had players take a few tumbles. Linn had some assistance off the court due to an elbow injury in the second half of the game as a result of an offensive charge brought on by the Hawks.

“I landed on my elbow and it just didn’t feel right at first, so the trainer looked at and said it was just a stinger,” Linn recounted about the incident.

Key players for the team included Linn, who displayed speed and concentration on blocking the other team’s shot as well as a beautiful swish three pointer in the ending minutes of the second half, freshman guard Katelyn Thornton (Brunswick,) who also showed rebounding skills and several complete foul shots, freshman guard Onyx Lopez (Lorain) who showed effective layups and foul shots, and  freshman forward Hannah Grablovic (North Olmsted)who,  despite some stumbles, kept her head in the game and provided several foul shot points.

The women’s team appears small in size, but due to the victories in LCCC’s other sports such as cross country and volleyball, both of whom are going to their respective National Championships during the month of November, the team can only play so many girls. However, the Commodores  have developed a strong friendship off the court that shows in the actions of the players while they communicate on the court.

“We are a pretty close team because we believe in each other,” added Linn.

The next home game will be Sunday, Nov. 23 at the Ewing Center Gym, against Pitt-Titusville at 1 p.m.