March 11, 2023, FLINT, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Community College women’s basketball team punched its ticket to the NJCAA Division II National Basketball Tournament with a dominating victory over Glen Oaks Community College on Saturday.
GRCC, the No. 5 seeds in the Great Lakes B District Tournament, defeated No. 2-seed Glen Oaks 83-66 earning the championship.
“Can’t say enough about this group of sophomores,” coach David Glazier said. “We talked about being built for this opportunity and today, as a group, they cemented that legacy we’d been talking about for a week. Grace Lodes and Sally Merrill just dominated their performances. But without everybody doing their job, we wouldn’t have had the success that we’ve earned.”
The win came off a huge, 28-point performance from Merrill, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Lodes, a sophomore, had another commanding night, scoring 27 points and snatching 15 total rebounds, four of them on offense and 11 as a defender.
GRCC as a team commanded the free throw line, shooting 19-22.
Lodes and sophomores Marlene Bussler were named to the All-Tournament Team, and Glazier earned District B Coach of the Year honors.
This story was reported by Mackenzie Ondersma