CCBC Essex defeated Harcum College 81-65 Saturday night, wrapping up a three-day celebration of women’s basketball in the championship game of the SC4 ThumbCoast Tip-Off at St. Clair County Community College.
Teams from as far east as Rossville, Md., and as far west as Mesa, Ariz., traveled to the SC4 Fieldhouse in Port Huron, to play in the inaugural event, which featured eight of the best junior college women’s basketball teams in the country.
They provided 12 thrilling games for fans in attendance while facing elite non-conference competition and getting a one-of-a-kind student-athlete experience.
“Our aim was to bring a high-level showcase for women’s college basketball and community college athletics to downtown Port Huron, and with the help of the community, SC4 staff and the amazing student-athletes and coaches who took the court this weekend, that was accomplished,” SC4 President Kirk Kramer said. “We strive to give our students the best possible education, but also an excellent college experience, and events such as this are a big part of that.”
Half the field entered the tournament ranked in the top 10 of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II rankings — No. 3 Mesa Community College, No. 4 CCBC Essex, No. 6 Lake Land College and No. 8 Mid Michigan College — while two others were in the top 25, including host SC4 (16) and finalist Harcum (22).
Most of these teams will not see each other again, at least not until the NJCAA Division II championships in March, where all eight strive to finish their seasons. All eight are certainly capable of doing just that, and this weekend went a long way toward helping them accomplish that goal.
“This tournament was an amazing experience for us,” Lansing coach Megan Hudson said. “SC4 is an amazing host. The venue is beautiful, the tournament was exactly what we need at this point in the season. Our competition was top-notch – nationally-ranked teams – and it’s going to get us prepared for March and obviously our conference run. I couldn’t have been more excited about the experience to be here, and I’m so proud of how my girls battled.”
Teams opened the week with a banquet and a keynote address from Juliene Brazinski Simpson, co-captain of the 1976 USA Women’s Olympic Basketball Team, and a member of the Naismith, Women’s Basketball and Polish American Sports halls of fame.
Simpson provided each coach with an autographed basketball, and each player with a picture that included a personalized message and autograph.
That – and the great competition – wasn’t all that teams received. Each team had a member of the community serve as their team host, players were given motivational post cards with the turn down service in their hotel rooms, as well as SC4 ThumbCoast Tip-Off towels and decals.
Teams were given the option to create hype videos, which were played on the SC4 Fieldhouse jumbotrons during introductions and at times during the games. They also had complimentary laundry service from Troy Cleaners.
“It was great, this town is really nice,” Lake Land College sophomore guard Charleece Davis said. “Everyone here is friendly, and it was a good experience. I definitely recommend other teams to come here.”
What They’re Saying
CCBC Essex coach Mike Seney: “This is my third year coming to Port Huron, to (SC4), and every year I feel like the staff here out-does itself with the tournament. I told (SC4 Director of Athletics Dale Vos) I thought it was a real hurt piece that the national tournament isn’t here anymore, because the way this tournament is run, it’s been run like a national tournament. Just to be out here in this environment is amazing.”
Mid Michigan Coach Lance Maney: “St. Clair always does a really nice job hosting their stuff. They had the national tournament here two years ago and it was really well run, and they do a really nice job creating excitement about Juco basketball. This is fun for the players, what more could you ask for. It’s also exciting to play teams from out of state. We have a lot of good teams in Michigan, and we get to see them a lot, but when you get to see some teams that are ranked from different states and see what that looks like, that’s also exciting.”
Harcum Sophomore Guard Kelsey Bess: “I think it’s good for our team, because we know what we’re capable of early (in the season). So, when we go back home, we can just build on top of it and be ready for when March comes.”
Edison State Coach Tim McMahon: “I loved it, I think it’s great. I want to do it again next year. I think it’s wonderful. I told (the Edison State players) in the locker room, we’re going to see these teams, and if we want to get to the next level, we have to get through these teams. So, you might as well see them in November so you’re ready for them in February and March.”
Mesa Coach Kori Stephenson: “The experience was awesome. The hospitality was awesome. The way SC4 just ran this whole tournament, just everything, all the details outside of the game, it was just really easy as a coach to manage. So, hat’s off to them and hopefully they can continue to run this tournament, because they do an outstanding job.”
Lake Land Coach David Johnson: “I can’t say enough about the hospitality. This has been a first-class tournament from the get-go. (SC4 Director of Athletics Dale Vos) and the entire SC4 staff made us feel so welcome. They’ve taken care of all the little things that are great. They’ve done so much for our players. They have a place for them to hang out, food for them. They get a souvenir. They had a great banquet. How often do you meet (an Olympic) medal winner?”
SC4 ThumbCoast Tip-Off Final Results
Thursday, Nov. 14:
- 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, Nov. 15:
- 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, Nov. 16:
- Seventh-Place Game: Mid Michigan 84, Edison State 66
- Fifth-Place Game: SC4 70, Lansing 68
- Third-Place Game: Lake Land 57, Mesa 51
- Championship Game: CCBC Essex 81, Harcum 65
SC4 ThumbCoast Tip-Off By The Numbers
Four Top 10 teams participating: No. 3 Mesa Community College, No. 4 CCBC Essex, No. 6 Lake Land College and No. 8 Mid Michigan College
Six Top 25 teams participating: The four previously mentioned teams, plus No. 16 St. Clair County Community College and No. 22 Harcum College
Three matchups between Top 10 teams: Mesa vs. Mid Michigan, CCBC Essex vs. Lake Land, and Lake Land vs. Mesa
31 points: Highest single-game scoring output by a player, scored by SC4 teammates Bailey Gormley vs. Mid Michigan and Bre Jefferson vs. Lansing
77 points: Highest point total in the tournament by a player, scored by SC4 freshman guard Bre Jefferson
4,315 miles: Traveled by the seven visiting teams, with Mesa traveling the farthest at 2,056 miles
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
