Commodores Defeat Terra State off Fisher and Payne's Scoring, 76-73

January 14, 2023 - - The men's basketball team for Lorain County Community College picked up a much needed victory on Saturday against Terra State Community College, gaining their first Ohio Community College Athletic Conference win of the season, 76-73.

LCCC (7-11, 1-6) trailed for most of the first half until Casey Kelley's (Amherst, Ohio/Firelands HS) layup tied the game up with just under five minutes left.  Kelley, who scored nine points in the game with five rebounds and two assists, helped the Commodores take the lead a minute later when he set a screen for Brandon Fisher (Strongsville, Ohio/Columbia HS) who drained a jumper from the elbow to give LCCC a 30-28 lead.

Fisher scored a team-high 23 points for the Commodores, shooting 7-for-11 from the field, and hitting four shots from long range. Fisher also had three assists and one block.

Lem Payne (Philadelphia, Pa./Mount Pleasant HS) scored 20 points with seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block.  Payne also went 12-for-14 from the charity stripe.

Both teams fought until the final buzzer, Terra made it a two-point game with just under 20 seconds remaining after Terra's Tyreek Crump (Cleveland, Ohio) made a lay-up.  Fisher kept the Titans at bay with two free throws and then Luqman Lateef (Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw HS) sank one-of-two free-throws to give LCCC a five point lead with just under ten seconds to play.

Lateef pulled down a team-high eight rebounds while he and current OCCAC Player of the Week Jayden Roberts each scored eight points.

The Titans (5-11, 3-3) won't have to wait long to get a rematch as the Commodores travel to Fremont, Ohio this Wednesday, January 18 take on the Titans.  Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.