Schoolcraft Falls Late To #17 Mott

LIVONIA, Mi- The Ocelots men's basketball team looked to get back into the win column while playing host to the #17 ranked Mott Bears.

Playing their 2^nd nationally ranked opponent in a row, Schoolcraft came out ready to go, much like we saw against Macomb. Against Macomb, the Ocelots went into halftime leading by a score of 35-28 and would unfortunately lose that lead in the 2^nd half. Against Mott, it would sound the same. After the first 20 minutes of play, the Ocelots led by a score of 42-32, highlighted by a 12-2 run over a 3-minute span roughly halfway through the half. Mackhi Jackson (15) and Daniel Lee (12) were the scoring leaders with Keon Henderson dishing out 3 assists. Jackson and Lee would each nail a pair of 3's with Ashton Henderson also hitting 1 en route to shooting 50% from behind the arc as a team in the 1^st half. The defense was a staple in the 1^st half, forcing 12 Mott turnovers while also registering 9 steals as a team, led by Keon Henderson's 3.

Over the 2^nd half, it was a long and slow comeback effort for the Bears. Slowly scratching and clawing, Mott would take their 2^nd lead of the game, following their 2-0 lead to start the game, as Trucel Singleton would hit a 3-pointer with 5:07 left in the game. The lid would seem to be placed on the hoops for both teams as over the final 5 minutes, only 9 more points would be scored in the contest. The Ocelots just could not get the ball to hit the bottom of the net, but the chances were there.

For the game, Jackson would lead all scorers with 20 points, followed by Lee (20), Marshall Thorn (14) and Ashton Henderson (13). Lee would lead in rebounds with 7 and Keon Henderson would follow suit in assists with 4.

The Ocelots conclude their 6 game home stand on Saturday, January 20, as they square off against Wayne County Community College at 3:00PM.