ACC Gets Big Road Win over Montcalm

SIDNEY, Mich. – The Alpena Community College men's basketball team ended their longest drought of the season in dramatic fashion Friday afternoon, defeating Montcalm Community College 87-84 to earn their first conference victory and snap a 15-game losing streak.

The win improved the Lumberjacks to 2-19 overall and 1-10 in conference play, while handing the home-standing Centurions (14-10, 7-3) just their third conference loss of the season.

Sophomore guard Derian Williams paced Alpena with a game-high 30 points on an efficient 9-for-18 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. Williams also knocked down all eight of his free throw attempts and added five assists, five rebounds, and two steals in 37 minutes of action.

The Lumberjacks received significant contributions from their bench, with Kavon Patterson adding 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting along with three assists and three steals. Gary Reed chipped in 18 points on an impressive 7-for-10 from the field, helping Alpena's reserves outscore Montcalm's bench 55-39.

The game was tightly contested throughout, with neither team leading by more than six points in the first half. Alpena took a narrow 43-40 advantage into halftime after shooting 50% from the field in the opening 20 minutes.

The second half featured multiple lead changes and clutch plays on both ends. The Lumberjacks shot 38.2% in the final period but maintained their composure at the free-throw line, converting 19-of-22 attempts (86.4%) for the game.

Kobe Johnson added 14 points despite foul trouble that limited him to 30 minutes, while Oliver Duthler and Jadin Mix provided solid defensive efforts and key rebounds down the stretch.

Despite shooting 43.7% from the field and forcing 12 Alpena turnovers, Montcalm couldn't overcome their struggles from the free-throw line, converting just 9-of-19 attempts (47.4%).

The victory marks a significant milestone for the Lumberjacks, who had been searching for their first conference win since early in the season. The team's resilience and determination were on full display as they held off multiple comeback attempts by the home team.

Alpena will look to build on this momentum as they continue conference play next week. The Lumberjacks' balanced scoring attack, strong free-throw shooting, and improved defensive effort provide a blueprint for success moving forward.

Game Notes: ACC outscored Montcalm 34-24 in points in the paint and matched them with 13 points off turnovers... Alpena committed just 12 turnovers while forcing 16.