Shorthanded Commodores Fight But Fall To Owens

February 13, 2025 - - The Lorain County Community College women's basketball team put up a valiant effort against Owens Community College on Thursday night at the Ewing Activities Center but ultimately fell 67-62 in a tightly contested matchup.

The Commodores (9-16, 4-8), playing without their starting center and leading scorer, Ally Winnen (Lorain, Ohio/Elyria Catholic HS), who is sidelined for the rest of the season with an ankle injury, honored three sophomores—Winnen, Allison Jones (Homerville, Ohio/Wadsworth HS), and Sidney Iler (LaGrange, Ohio/First Baptist Christian)—before tipoff.

The game got off to a rough start for LCCC as they found themselves in an early 11-0 hole against the Express (16-9, 8-3). A layup by Jones at the 5:24 mark of the first quarter finally ended the Commodores' scoring drought. Owens maintained its momentum and took a 21-10 lead into the second quarter.

However, LCCC responded with a strong second quarter, led by Abigail Schmitz (Amherst, Ohio/Firelands HS), who scored 13 of the team's 21 points in the period. The Commodores' defense also stepped up, holding the Express scoreless for a three-minute stretch to help them inch back into the game.

Jones drilled a three-pointer with 2:39 remaining in the half to tie the game at 31 apiece. Owens managed to regain a slight advantage before halftime, heading into the break leading 36-31.

The third quarter saw the Commodores continue to fight back, outscoring Owens 22-21 and closing the gap to just four points heading into the final period. Schmitz led the charge once again, scoring 10 points before finishing with a game-high 28 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Alexis Sheridan (Avon Lake, Ohio/Avon Lake HS) controlled the boards, securing 15 rebounds to go along with her four points.

Schmitz kept the momentum going in the fourth, scoring within the first 15 seconds to cut the deficit to just two, 57-55. But Owens responded with six straight points, putting distance between itself and LCCC. Despite a strong defensive effort and forcing 19 Owens turnovers, the Commodores struggled to find offensive consistency down the stretch, shooting just 22.2% in the final quarter.

Jones contributed 12 points, while Helayna Houston (LaGrange, Ohio/Keystone HS) added 10 points and three assists. LCCC capitalized on Owens' mistakes, scoring 21 points off turnovers, but ultimately, the Express' dominance in the paint (34 points) and rebounding (50-36 advantage) proved to be the difference.

Next Up:

With the win, the Express secured home-court advantage in the NJCAA Region 12 Championship on February 22, 2024. LCCC's final regular-season game will be against Edison State Community College on Saturday, February 15, 2025, in Piqua, Ohio with a 1 p.m. tip off.