Category: Athletics

No. 16 Skippers defeat Lansing to take 5th at SC4 ThumbCoast Tip-Off

A Female basketball player with "skippers" on her jersey dribbling down the court. Another player with "stars" on her jersey is trying to block her.

The St. Clair County Community College women’s basketball team closed the SC4 ThumbCoast Tip-Off on a high note Saturday, defeating Lansing Community College 70-68 in the tournament’s fifth-place game at the SC4 Fieldhouse. 

Bre Jefferson scored 31 points to lead the No. 16 Skippers, who finished the inaugural event with a 2-1 record and wins over two of the top teams in Michigan. 

“In the first game, we had to come back. In the second game, we had to come back and hit a shot to win, and today we had to preserve (a lead),” SC4 coach Mike Groulx said. “So each game brought its different challenges and opportunities. I thought our three freshmen who start for us grew up tremendously this weekend. They’re starting to learn how to be college guards, and it’s awesome to see.” 

The Skippers played three one-possession games in the tournament, and saw two ranked teams – No. 22 Harcum College and No. 8 Mid Michigan College – and a team in Lansing that was receiving votes in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association Division II rankings. 

“I think we grew as a team tremendously,” Jefferson said. “The first game, you could see where we had times where we were like falling apart. But the next two games we just came together and knew that if we stayed together, we would grow up.” 

Jefferson made quite a statement in the tournament, finishing with 77 points in three games. She’s now fifth in the country in points per game at 25.9. Jefferson also grabbed 10 rebounds in the victory. 

Her teammate Baily Gormley also had a big weekend, going for 11 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday, about 24 hours after she had scored 31 in the win against Mid Michigan. Jakyra McCarty added eight points off the bench for SC4. 

Kara Bartels led a balanced effort for Lansing with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Laia Albas-Ferrer added 16 points, while Brianna Clark had 15 and Ellie Humble had 10. 

SC4 led Saturday’s game by as much as 15 midway through the third quarter, but the Stars answered with a 12-0 run to tighten up the game in the fourth quarter, holding the Skippers scoreless for 5:02 of game time. 

A skippers female basketball player holding the ball away from another player that is guarding her.

“I’m so proud of how hard my girls battled,” Lansing coach Megan Hudson said. “Even in this game, we got down a bit and we fought right back. Some end of game things we need to clean up – unlucky timeout timing, some execution on some plays, some free throws. You can always say what if, but I’m just so proud of how hard my girls battled, and I’m just very thankful for this experience.” 

Hudson’s enjoyment of the tournament was a universal feeling among those participating, and Groulx feels it can continue to be a showcase for the sport and SC4 in the future. 

“I think it’s been awesome for women’s basketball,” Groulx said. “I think it’s been awesome for Division II community college in general. I think everybody here has had something positive to say about how much they like it.” 

No. 16 SC4 70, Lansing 68 (Box Score) 

The SC4 ThumbCoast Tip-Off is presented by SC4 along with Discover the Blue, and is sponsored by McLaren Port Huron, LiUNA Local 1075, SEMCO Energy, Troy Cleaners, DoubleTree Port Huron, Standard Office Supply, Buffalo Wild Wings, All-Star Services, ThumbCoast Realty, LLC, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, Earl Smith Distributing Co., 4Sports, Body Armor and Casey’s. 

St Clair County Community College (SC4) was founded in 1923 and is the only public higher education institution in the thumb of Michigan. SC4 is a comprehensive community college that provides certificates and degrees for employable skills and college credits that can be transferred to a four-year college or university. The college provides collegiate arts and athletics for the area and has been an asset for students and the Port Huron community for over one hundred years.   

ThumbCoast Tip-Off Results/Schedule 

Thursday: 

  • Game 1: Lake Land 64, Edison State 58 
  • Game 2: CCBC Essex 90, Lansing 73 
  • Game 3: Mesa 64, Mid Michigan 56 
  • Game 4: Harcum 64, SC4 61 

Friday: 

  • Game 5: Lansing 79, Edison State 52 
  • Game 6: SC4 85, Mid Michigan 84 
  • Game 7: CCBC Essex 68, Lake Land 58 
  • Game 8: Harcum 54, Mesa 52 

Saturday: 

  • Seventh-Place Game: Mid Michigan 84, Edison State 66 
  • Fifth-Place Game: SC4 70, Lansing 68 
  • Third-Place Game: Lake Land vs. Mesa, 4 p.m. 
  • Championship Game: CCBC Essex vs. Harcum, 6 p.m. 

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff/Senior Vice President, SC4, at srutallie@sc4.edu 

Last-second shot lifts No. 16 Skippers to SC4 Thumbcoast Tip-Off win over No. 8 Mid Michigan 

Female basketball player with a skippers jersey running during a game.

­Iliana Williams hit a go-ahead jumper with 2 seconds remaining Friday to lift the St. Clair County Community College women’s basketball team to a dramatic 85-84 victory against Mid Michigan College in the consolation round of the inaugural SC4 Thumbcoast Tip-Off at the SC4 Fieldhouse. 

“I was really nervous, but I was saying in my head before the play even started, ‘If I catch the ball, I’m going to shoot it. And it’s going to go in,’” Williams said. “That’s what I was saying to myself. I was ready to catch it and shoot it. When it went in, I was really, really hype and I just wanted to go hug my teammates.” 

The clutch bucket sends the No. 16 Skippers to the fifth-place game at 3 p.m. Saturday against Lansing Community College. No. 8 Mid Michigan will play Edison State in the seventh-place game at 1 p.m. Both games will be played at the Fieldhouse. 

Bailey Gormley led all scorers with 31 points for the Skippers and came up with the game-sealing steal on Mid Michigan’s final inbound play. She also had 11 rebounds. Bre Jefferson added 21 points for the Skippers, while Sylver Bowles and Williams each had 10. Williams added six rebounds, and Mackenzie Royal-Davis had eight points and eight rebounds. 

Female skippers basketball player during a game. Her hands are up to receive a pass.

Mid Michigan was led by Paige Ebels, who scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds. Rachel Resio added 19 points, and Chloe Watson had nine points and six rebounds.   

With the win, SC4 now has a top 10 victory under its belt, and has played in one-possession games in each of the first two nights of the SC4 Thumbcoast Tip-Off tournament. Those are the big moments coach Mike Groulx hopes can help get his team back to national prominence. 

“I talk to these girls about our history here with me as a head coach – we went to back-to-back national Final Fours, my only three years as a head coach we won the league title, we went to three straight national tournaments and we were ranked top 5 in the nation each year,” Groulx said. “These girls put on that jersey to live in that legacy and restore that tradition here. They know what they signed up for, and they know what wearing Skippers across their chest means. Now, we got a lot of work to do, we’re nowhere near where we need to be, but the competitiveness in the second half showed that we’re taking strides in the right direction.” 

Two female basketball players during a game. Their jerseys read "lakers" and "skippers". The players with a "skippers" jersey is trying to block the player with a "lakers" jersey from running past.

It was also the second straight night the Skippers erased a large deficit. While they came just short of completing the comeback on Thursday against Harcum College, they not only fully came back from 17 down against the Lakers, but also a six-point deficit in the final 2 minutes, 30 seconds. 

“I think it shows the love we have for this sport,” Williams said. “We just need to start the game stronger instead of having to claw our way back late in the game. But we are a great team, and I’m really proud of all my teammates.” 

No. 16 SC4 85, No. 8 Mid Michigan 84 (Box Score) 

The SC4 Thumbcoast Tip-Off is presented by SC4 along with Discover the Blue, and is sponsored by McLaren Port Huron, LiUNA Local 1075, SEMCO Energy, Troy Cleaners, DoubleTree Port Huron, Standard Office Supply, Buffalo Wild Wings, All-Star Services, ThumbCoast Realty, LLC, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, Earl Smith Distributing Co., 4Sports, Body Armor and Casey’s. 

A group of female basketball players, waiting to catch a rebound from a free throw. Five players are shown with their jerseys saying either "skippers" or "lakers".

St Clair County Community College (SC4) was founded in 1923 and is the only public higher education institution in the thumb of Michigan. SC4 is a comprehensive community college that provides certificates and degrees for employable skills and college credits that can be transferred to a four-year college or university. The college provides collegiate arts and athletics for the area and has been an asset for students and the Port Huron community for over one hundred years.   

Thumb Coast Tip Off Results/Schedule 

Thursday: 

  • Game 1: Lake Land 64, Edison State 58 
  • Game 2: CCBC Essex 90, Lansing 73 
  • Game 3: Mesa 64, Mid Michigan 56 
  • Game 4: Harcum 64, SC4 61 

Friday: 

  • Game 5: Lansing 79, Edison State 52 
  • Game 6: SC4 85, Mid Michigan 84 
  • Game 7: Lake Land vs. CCBC Essex, 5 p.m. 
  • Game 8: Mesa vs. Harcum, 7 p.m. 

Saturday: 

  • Seventh-Place Game: Edison State vs. Mid Michigan, noon 
  • Fifth-Place Game: Lansing vs. SC4, 2 p.m. 
  • Third-Place Game: Loser of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8, 4 p.m. 
  • Championship Game: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, 6 p.m. 

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff/Senior Vice President, SC4, at srutallie@sc4.edu 

Women’s basketball trailblazer Juliene Brazinski Simpson brings Hall of Fame insight to SC4 Thumbcoast Tip-Off

Olympian Juliene Brazinski Simpson with SC4 President Kirk Kramer

Juliene Brazinski Simpson is excited to be part of another showcase for women’s athletics at St. Clair County Community College this weekend as a special guest for the inaugural SC4 Thumbcoast Tip-Off.

The Naismith Basketball Hall-of-Famer and co-captain of the first US Olympic Women’s Basketball team delivered keynote remarks Wednesday at a banquet for the participating teams in the tournament and will perform ceremonial tip-offs before each of Thursday’s games at the SC4 Fieldhouse.

Simpson was also an invited guest at SC4 for the 2023 National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Women’s Basketball National Championships.

“I was here two years ago at the junior college championships, and I loved, not only the area – it’s beautiful – but the people that make it work are unbelievable,” Simpson said. “The experience that the young people had coming to that tournament, and what I experienced two years ago, when they called, there was no doubt I was coming back.”

The SC4 Thumbcoast Tip-Off features eight of the top junior college women’s basketball teams in the country and will run Thursday, Nov. 14, through Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Fieldhouse. Games are scheduled for 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and the championship game will be at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Placement games will be at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., also on Saturday.

Participating teams include the host Skippers, who climbed to No. 16 in the most recent NJCAA Division II rankings. Also participating are No. 3 Mesa (Ariz.) Community College, No. 4 CCBC Essex (Rossville, Md.), No. 6 Lake Land College (Mattoon, Ill.), No. 8 Mid-Michigan College (Mount Pleasant, Mich.), No. 22 Harcum College (Bryn Mawr, Penn.), Lansing Community College (Lansing, Mich.) and Edison State Community College (Piqua, Ohio).

As a former junior college coach herself, Simpson is excited about the opportunity to be around players at this level.

“I just feel like this is the level that you can really put impressions on young people,” Simpson said. “They didn’t get the opportunity to go Division I, so they are still drivers within themselves and with their team, and so on. If you want to go on, you can. Here’s Division I, II and II that you can look at now to transfer to. Or, some people say, ‘I don’t want to play anymore, but now I want to do this academically for my future.’ There was one individual two years ago that wanted to get into nursing, and she just said, ‘I don’t want to do both.’ But, she had two years of experience as a woman, being in a leadership role as her captain on her team, and getting to be in the role she had to play and all the hard work that goes with it.”

Coaches participating in the event will receive an autographed ball from Simpson, while players will receive posters of the 1976 US Women’s Olympic team, which earned a silver medal and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023. The posters will also be autographed by Simpson.

While Simpson is an attraction herself at the event, she’s just as interested in enjoying the action as a spectator.

“I have a passion for basketball,” she said. “If a women’s game is on, I’m watching it, I’m analyzing it. I go, as much as I can, when games are available around our area. I love to watch young people play, just because the game has changed so much and is so exciting.”

Simpson grew up playing basketball in Elizabeth, N.J., with her brother and his friends. Her first experience with organized basketball was in eighth grade, when a local league for girls was created.

She attended John F. Kennedy College in Wahoo, Neb., “sight-unseen” to continue her basketball career at a time when the recruiting process was basically non-existent. From there, she made and competed on 11 national teams. 

That included the 1973 World University Games, in which she won a silver medal, and the 1975 Pan-American Games in which the US won its first gold medal since 1963.

The ultimate honor came in 1976, however, as she was not only one of the 12 selected to play on the first ever US Women’s Olympic team, but named a co-captain along with the late Pat Summit.

In those games, Simpson had the first assist – and first foul – in US Women’s Olympic history. She also was 16-of-16 from the free-throw line. To this day, that remains an Olympic record for most free-throw attempts without a miss.

“(US Coach) Billie Moore had said to us, ‘There’s going to only be one time when you are the first. There are going to be many after you, but you are the first,’” Simpson said. “And I think about that, and it’s kind of a lot of fun now.”

Simpson then transitioned into coaching, getting her start at Amarillo Junior College, before stops at Cincinnati, Arizona State, Whitworth, Bucknell and East Stroudsburg University. She also served as Athletic Director at Saint Elizabeth University from 2009-2020.

Simpson’s list of career accomplishments is a long one, as she has won multiple coach of the year awards. 

On top of joining the 1976 Olympic team in the Naismith Hall of Fame, she has also been inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2000) and the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

St Clair County Community College (SC4) was founded in 1923 and is the only public higher education institution in the thumb of Michigan. SC4 is a comprehensive community college that provides certificates and degrees for employable skills and college credits that can be transferred to a four-year college or university. The college provides collegiate arts and athletics for the area and has been an asset for students and the Port Huron community for over one hundred years. 

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff/Senior Vice President, SC4, at srutallie@sc4.edu

SC4 Hosts Inagural Thumbcoast Tip-Off Basketball Tournament

SC4 Women’s Basketball athletes in a team huddle

St. Clair County Community College (SC4) will play host to eight of the top junior college women’s basketball teams in the country Nov. 14, 15 and 16 for the inaugural Thumbcoast Tip-Off Basketball Tournament.

A total of 12 games will be played at the SC4 Fieldhouse Thursday through Saturday, featuring six teams ranked in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II rankings, and another that is receiving votes.

Games will be played at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. The championship game will be at 6 p.m. on Saturday, following placement games at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

No. 21 SC4, led by coach Mike Groulx, is among those ranked teams, joined by No. 3 Mesa Community College, No. 4 CCBC Essex, No. 7 Lake Land College, No. 11 Mid Michigan College and No. 18 Harcum College. Lansing Community College is also receiving votes.

Mesa placed third at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament a year ago, while CCBC Essex was fourth and Harcum was eighth. Mid-Michigan and Lake Land also qualified for the 2024 national tournament.

“SC4 provides a college experience in downtown Port Huron,” said SC4 President Kirk Kramer.  “Hosting an elite Women’s college basketball tournament is part of providing an all-around college life and atmosphere for students and residents.  Our Skippers team will have an opportunity to compete against the best competition in the country and our fans have an opportunity to witness first-hand the quality level of talent resident in community colleges. Teams and fans from across the country will see for themselves what we appreciate about our area.”

Tickets are $10 per day, or $25 for a three-day pass, and can be purchased in advance at sc4skippers.com/fanzone/ticketing.

On top of the exciting on-court action, women’s basketball Hall of Famer Juliene Brazinski Simpson will be on hand to perform ceremonial jump balls prior to games and address the coaches and athletes. Brazinski Simpson was a co-captain on the 1976 US Olympic Women’s Basketball Team, which won a silver medal. She also won a gold medal with the US National Team at the 1975 Pan Am Games.

The SC4 Fieldhouse is a state-of-the-art athletic facility located on SC4’s campus, nestled between Downtown Port Huron and the Black River. SC4 has been providing high quality, affordable education in St. Clair County for more than 100 years. 

The Thumbcoast Tip-Off is presented by SC4 along with Discover the Blue, and is sponsored by McLaren Port Huron, LiUNA Local 1075, SEMCO Energy, Troy Cleaners, DoubleTree Port Huron, Standard Office Supply, Buffalo Wild Wings, All-Star Services, ThumbCoast Realty, LLC, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling, Earl Smith Distributing Co., 4Sports, Body Armor and Casey’s. 

Thumbcoast Tip-Off Schedule

Thursday:

  • Game 1: Edison State vs. Lake Land, 1 p.m.
  • Game 2: Lansing vs. CCBC Essex, 3 p.m.
  • Game 3: Mid-Michigan vs. Mesa, 5 p.m.
  • Game 4: SC4 vs. Harcum

Friday:

  • Game 5: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 1 p.m.
  • Game 6: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, 3 p.m.
  • Game 7: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 5 p.m.
  • Game 8: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 7 p.m.

Saturday:

  • Seventh-Place Game: Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6, noon
  • Fifth-Place Game: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, 2 p.m.
  • Third-Place Game: Loser of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8, 4 p.m.
  • Championship Game: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, 6 p.m.

Thumbcoast Tip-Off Team Profiles

St. Clair County Community College

  • Location: Port Huron, Mich.
  • Ranking: 21
  • Conference: Michigan Community College Athletic Association
  • Coach: Mike Groulx
  • Mascot: Skippers

CCBC Essex

  • Location: Rossville, Md.
  • Ranking: 4
  • Conference: Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference
  • Coach: Mike Seney
  • Mascot: Knights

Edison State Community College

  • Location: Piqua, Ohio
  • Ranking: NR
  • Conference: Ohio Community College Athletic Conference
  • Coach: Tim McMahon
  • Mascot: Chargers

Harcum College

  • Location: Bryn Mawr, Pa.
  • Ranking: 18
  • Conference: Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference
  • Coach: Greg Horton
  • Mascot: Bears

Lake Land College

  • Location: Mattoon, Ill.
  • Ranking: 7
  • Conference: Region 24
  • Coach: David Johnson
  • Mascot: Lakers

Lansing Community College

  • Location: Lansing, Mich.
  • Ranking: Others receiving votes
  • Conference: Michigan Community College Athletic Association
  • Coach: Megan Hudson
  • Mascot: Stars

Mesa Community College

  • Location: Mesa, Az.
  • Ranking: 3
  • Conference: Arizona Community College Athletic Conference
  • Coach: Kori Stephenson
  • Mascot: Thunderbirds

Mid-Michigan College

  • Location: Harrison, Mich.
  • Ranking: 11
  • Conference: Michigan Community College Athletic Association
  • Coach: Lance Maney
  • Mascot: Lakers

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff/Senior Vice President, SC4, at srutallie@sc4.edu