Williams Leads ACC to 2nd Straight Win

The Alpena Community College Lumberjacks are on a roll. Behind a dominant bench performance and a masterful 28-point outing from Derian Williams, ACC defeated North Central Michigan 93-79 on Tuesday night at Petoskey Plastics Arena to earn their second consecutive victory and improve to 3-19 overall (2-10 MCCAA).

The Lumberjacks controlled the pace from wire to wire, never trailing by more than two points and at one point building a commanding 22-point cushion in the second half. It was a complete team effort — ACC outrebounded the Timberwolves 50-38, forced 17 turnovers, and converted those miscues into 17 points to North Central Michigan's 10.

Williams was simply unstoppable. The sophomore guard finished with 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting, grabbed six rebounds, dished out five assists, and recorded five steals — all in 33 minutes of action. He knocked down eight of ten free throw attempts and served as the engine of every meaningful ACC run throughout the night. Williams finished with five personal steals, constantly disrupting NCM's half-court sets and triggering transition opportunities for his teammates.

If there was one defining storyline on this night, it was the production off the Lumberjack bench. ACC reserves outscored their NCM counterparts 44-17 — a staggering differential that proved decisive. Kavon Patterson led the charge with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three-point range, adding five rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes. Patterson also made a buzzer-beating layup to give ACC its 43-40 lead heading into halftime.

Brayden Franzel was equally effective in a reserve role, draining 3-of-5 three-pointers on his way to 11 points in just 15 minutes. Oluwatobi Ogunyode chipped in 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks, while Gary Reed contributed 6 points and a team-high 7 rebounds off the bench.

After the Timberwolves drew first blood, ACC quickly responded and established control. Williams scored the team's first eight points over the opening four minutes, and when NCM crept within a point at 32-31, the Lumberjacks kept their composure. Patterson's back-to-back three-pointers around the 9-minute mark pushed the lead to 24-18, a run that forced North Central Michigan to burn consecutive timeouts. ACC headed to the locker room with a 43-40 advantage, outperforming NCM from the free-throw line (66.7% to 20.0%) to keep the lead intact.

Alpena came out of the break on a mission. Williams opened the second half with a jump shot, Mix followed with a three-pointer, and Kobe Johnson added a triple to push the lead to 53-40 — capped by a 30-second timeout from an overwhelmed Timberwolf squad. From there, the Lumberjacks methodically extended their advantage, reaching a game-high 22-point lead (77-55) at the nine-minute mark of the second half.

North Central Michigan's Cameron Ivey (25 points, 5-of-9 from three) and Ryan Ehlert (21 points, 4-of-8 from deep) did their best to spark a comeback, but the Timberwolves could never close the gap enough to threaten. NCM shot just 25% from the free throw line on the night (2-of-8), repeatedly failing to capitalize on foul trouble situations.

ACC's 16 offensive rebounds translated into 19 second-chance points — a figure that dwarfed NCM's 9. The Lumberjacks' collective defensive intensity was a hallmark of the victory: 14 total steals as a team, led by Williams' five. Ogunyode anchored the paint with two blocked shots, and the team's ball pressure forced North Central Michigan into costly turnovers on back-to-back possessions throughout the second half.

With back-to-back wins now under their belt, the Lumberjacks appear to be hitting their stride as the season winds down. The team's improved execution off the bench and relentless defensive energy give reason for optimism heading into their next contest Sunday, Feb. 22 at Mid Michigan College.

FINAL SCORE

Alpena Community College  93  |  North Central Michigan  79

Location: Petoskey Plastics Arena, Petoskey, Mich.

Records: ACC 3-19 (2-10 MCCAA) | NCM 3-21 (2-10 MCCAA)

Date: February 18, 2026

KEY PERFORMERS — ALPENA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Derian Williams: 28 PTS (10-18 FG, 8-10 FT), 6 REB, 5 AST, 5 STL

Kavon Patterson: 22 PTS (8-13 FG, 4-5 3PT, 2-2 FT), 5 REB, 2 AST

Brayden Franzel: 11 PTS (4-6 FG, 3-5 3PT), 4 REB, 1 STL

Jadin Mix: 9 PTS (4-11 FG, 1-7 3PT), 3 REB, 1 STL

Kobe Johnson: 6 PTS (2-9 FG, 2-7 3PT), 8 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK

— Alpena Community College Athletics —