The Lakeland Lakers basketball team played the Henry Ford Hawks today in the 5th place game at the NJCAA DII National Tournament in Danville, IL. The Lakers defeated the Hawks 95-76 to close out their season with a 26-2 record. Accolades for the team this year include: Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) Champions, Region XII District C Champions, and a 5th place finish at the National Tournament. The Lakers took care of business early in this game. With the score tied at 6 just 3 minutes into the game, the Lakers went on a 17-3 run over the next 7 minutes and then never looked back. The Lakers were keyed by their defensive effort as they forced Henry Ford into a few turnovers that led to quick points for the Lakers. Jaidon Lipscomb continued his hot shooting scoring 17 points on 7-11 shooting (including 3 3-pointers) while also grabbing 9 rebounds. Landon Tillman added 8 points while Chaze Harris chipped in 7 points in the half.

The second half was also controlled by the Lakers as they maintained about a 20 point lead throughout. First year coach, Mike Hunter, was able to freely substitute throughout as 10 different Lakers scored in the game. Jaidon Lipscomb finished with a game high 22 points and 10 rebounds while Kyle Jackson added 15 points and 11 rebounds. Chaze Harris finished the game with 17 points on 7-10 shooting from the floor. Noah Berry and Landon Tillman each finished with 8 points while Datrey Long scored 7 points. JR Lumsden and Ansy Oulare each score 6 points in the win.

Congratulations to the entire Lakeland men's basketball team, Assistant Coach Terrell Eskridge, and Head Coach, Mike Hunter!