Lakers Pull Away Late to Advance to Region XII Championship

Flint, MI - The Mid Michigan College Lakers men's basketball team found themselves in unfamiliar territory entering Thursday night's NJCAA Region XII Tournament game. After rattling off 16 straight victories earlier in the season, the Lakers had suddenly dropped back-to-back contests—first a three-point loss to Bay College in the regular season finale and then a four-point defeat to Kalamazoo Valley in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association semifinals.

But with their season on the line Thursday evening, the Lakers showed resilience.

The Men of Mid battled past a pesky Lake Michigan Red Hawks squad 77–68 to advance to the Region XII championship game, where a trip to the national tournament will be on the line Saturday.

The Red Hawks made the Lakers work for every possession early. Lake Michigan controlled much of the first half and carried a narrow 31–29 advantage into the locker room. Mid Michigan struggled to find consistent rhythm offensively but stayed within striking distance thanks to timely baskets and strong rebounding.

The second half told a different story.

Mid Michigan turned up the intensity and began to take control, outscoring Lake Michigan 48–37 over the final 20 minutes. Key defensive stops and second-chance opportunities fueled the surge as the Lakers gradually pulled away to end their brief two-game skid.

Freshman Zack Parks delivered a remarkable performance off the bench, leading the Lakers with 18 points while dominating the glass with a season-high 21 rebounds. His relentless effort provided a major spark for Mid Michigan throughout the night.

Amonti Green matched Parks with 18 points of his own, while Vynce Overshown added 12 points and Christian Zielinski chipped in 11 to round out the Lakers' balanced scoring attack.

With the win, Mid Michigan improves to 24–6 overall, while Lake Michigan closes its season with an 18–10 record.

Standing between the Lakers and a berth in the national tournament is St. Clair County, who enter the Region XII championship game with a 19–12 record. St. Clair reached the final with a pair of narrow victories earlier in the week, edging Macomb by five points Tuesday before slipping past Edison State, 64–63.

The two teams met earlier this season in November, when Mid Michigan rolled to a convincing 106–79 victory.

Now, with the Region XII title and a national tournament bid at stake, the Lakers will look to build off Thursday's momentum and finish what has already been an impressive season.