Men’s Basketball Defeats Bryant & Stratton College For First Win

November 21, 2024 - - For Lorain County Community College to get their first win of the season, it wouldn't be easy.  In the final minute and forty-nine seconds, they had to play without their top scorer Deonte Benejan (Queens, N.Y./Lorain HS), and they had to hold off a comeback by the Bobcats to win, 83-78.

For a while, it wasn't even close or in doubt.  The Commodores took a 10-point lead into the locker room thanks to double-digit scoring by Benejan and Anthony Atkins (Cleveland, Ohio/Valley Forge HS). Benejan finished with 23 points and seven assists and Atkins with 15 points and six rebounds.

In the second half, the Commodores shot 68% from the field and were boosted by Julius Moon's (Lorain, Ohio/Open Door Christian HS) sharp shooting from long range.  The freshman hit three shots from downtown in the second half and finished with a season-high 16 points.

But the Bobcats clawed back slowly over the final 20 minutes, narrowing the Commodore lead to a single possession with just under four minutes remaining.  Moon hit another three on an assist from Benejan to put LCCC up six with two minutes to play.

On the next possession, Benejan drove into the lane and was fouled going to the basket.  He landed on his wrist and had to leave the game.  Rashaud Finley (Cleveland, Ohio/Bard HS) sank both free throws in place of Benejan to put the Commodores up eight.

Finley, who played for Bryant & Stratton College last season, came up big again a minute later with a feed to Bryce Hicks (Grafton, Ohio/Midview HS) in the paint to keep the Bobcats at bay and keep the Commodore lead at eight points.

Finley grabbed the final rebound of the game and the Commodores secured their first win of the 2024-25 season.

Next Up:

LCCC travels to Wayne County Community College for the Wildcat Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 22-23, 2024.  LCCC will play Wayne County on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and then play Schoolcraft College on Saturday at noon.