Benejan’s 38 Points Lead Commodores Over Clark State, 104-95

December 9, 2023 - - The Lorain County Community College men's basketball team picked up a much needed Ohio Community College Athletic Conference win Saturday afternoon when they defeated the Clark State Community College Eagles on the road, 104-95.  The win snaps a four game slide for the Commodores.

Top Commodores

Deonte Benejan (Queens, N.Y./Lorain HS) – 38 points, 14-22 FG, 8-10 FT, 5 assists, 2 steals

Willie Powell Jr. (Cleveland, Ohio/Bedford HS) – 22 points, 9-14 FG, 3-3 3PT, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

Jayden Maxwell (Chicago, Ill./Buchtel CLC) – 11 points, 4-6 FG, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

Austin Copen (Amherst, Ohio/Firelands HS) – 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals

Recap

The Commodores (3-8, 1-3) got their first lead of the game with an Austin Copen second chance bucket to put them up 14-12. Copen assisted Deonte Benejan on a fast break bucket on the next possession, and then Jayden Maxwell found Willie Powell Jr. in the paint to cap a 10-0 run.  Clark State (4-5, 2-1) battled back to briefly take the lead, 23-22, and then again later on again, 35-34, with just under five minutes to play in the first half.

At the three minute mark, Jamair Blackmon found Powell Jr. alone in the corner for his second 3-pointer of the half to put LCCC up 41-39.  After Clark tied the game on the next possession, Benejan scored with an aggressive take to the basket to start an 11-5 run for the Commodores before the break, capped off by Copen's three pointer to put LCCC up 52-46.

The Commodore kept the Eagles at bay for most of the second half.  Reaching a double-digit lead with just over 10 minutes to play and eventually building up their largest lead, 87-69, at the 8 minute mark. 

Clarke State showed a little fight to bring the Commodores lead down to five points with five minutes to play but Benejan and Powell Jr. answered with buckets to push the lead back to 10 points as LCCC finished the job, 104-95.

Notes

• LCCC had 4 starters score in double figures
• LCCC shot 62% from the field, a season-high
• It was the sixth time this season the Commodores scored 90+, but only their second win
• The 104 points scored by the Commodores was a season-high
• LCCC tied a season-high in 3-pointers made with nine
• LCCC dished out 22 assists, also a season-high
• It was the fifth time this season the Commodores had 10+ steals

Next Up

LCCC will stay on the road all next week with stops at OCCAC foes Owens Community College on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and Lakeland Community College next Saturday at noon.