Sophomore guard, Jance Payne brings up the ball for the Raiders. (Photo by Ryan Tyrell /Collegiate)

GRCC blows away the competition
By Dana Finkler
Sports Editor

The GRCC Raiders have been playing with a “team first” mentality and with that attitude they have gotten off to a 5-1 start, their best start in nearly a decade.

Assistant Coach, John Maciak preaches to his players, “Together, everyone, accomplishes, more."

The Raiders have bought into their philosophy playing hard-nose defense, mixing up schemes with presses and zones, making their opponent earn their points. During the break, the team focused on academics, making sure all players took care of their schoolwork.

They also held a few practices to stay in shape and to prepare for their upcoming games. The break seemed to spark this Raider team as they demolished Rochester JV, 117 – 58 on Dec. 1 at the Ford Fieldhouse.

“We got off to a great start, said Coach Maciak. “We put a lot of pressure on them defensively."

The Raiders led Rochester JV, 54-18 at halftime. They had great production from their bench and even had seven players in double figures for points, led by freshman, James Thomas who had 18.

“It was good for our second string, they got quality minutes and playing time," said Maciak. “They challenge our first string players to play harder everyday in practice.”

“Coach is always telling us, they way you practice is the way you play," said sophomore forward, Keithan Jackson.

The Raiders continued their dominance on Saturday, Dec. 6 at the Ford Fieldhouse against Schoolcraft CC with a 93-71 victory.

After trailing 11-8 in the beginning of the game, the Raiders put together an 18-0 run giving them a 47-32 halftime lead. Keithan Jackson led the team in scoring with 27 points. James Thomas scored 21 points, 18, which came in the second half, and point guard, Jance Payne added 10 points.

Sophomore Bradley Whitby returned to the team after a shoulder injury that sidelined him for two weeks and contributed nine points. The Raiders took on Oakland CC on Dec. 9 looking to exact revenge on the team to leave the only blemish on their record this season.

Oakland jumped out to a four-point lead at halftime, 34-30, despite forward Keithan Jackson dominating for GRCC scoring 13 points and nine rebounds in the first half. However, guard Marcus Green of Oakland, matched Jackson shot-for-shot.

Near the end of the game GRCC had trailed, but rallied back in the final minutes to provide an exciting finish. However, after a lane violation call on guard Zachary Joseph, Oakland sealed the game with two free throws, winning, 80-74.

After the game, head coach David Selmon said he was upset and he felt his team could have given a better effort.

The Raiders do not return home until January 7. They will take on Lansing CC. Their record currently sits at 5-2.

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Women bounce back after loss
By Christina Kim
Assistant Sports Editor

After suffering a tough loss to Muskegon CC on Dec. 3 in the opening of conference play, the women bounced back with a win against Delta College.

The girls stood at 4-3 heading into Muskegon, one game above .500 and looked to get a win against the conference rival Jayhawks. The Raiders jumped out to a 24-20-halftime lead. Despite a 19-point effort from sophomore guard Brittany Bueche, the Jayhawks rallied in the second half to beat the Raiders, 62-53.

“We’ve lost three games because we didn’t rebound well,” head coach Kelley McEwen said. “Since we’re so short, we really need to work on boxing-out and rebounding.”

After the tough loss, the girls traveled to Delta College on Dec. 5 to take on the Pioneers. The Raiders got off to a quick and dominating start, leading Delta, 44-25 at halftime. From there, they never looked back.

Forward Courtney Stocking had an outstanding performance earning a double- double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.

The Raiders had four players in double-figures, Melissa Gross (12), Natalya Wayrzyhiak (11), Brittany Bueche (10), and Stocking (10). The Raiders defeated Delta College, 70-57.

“I’m very pleased with the team,” said McEwen. “We’ve gelled well as a team. It’s always a battle, getting girls from all different backgrounds to come together.”

Their record currently stands at 5-3. The Raiders will have two home games at the Ford Fieldhouse on Wed. Dec. 10 @ p.m. 7:00, Fri. Dec. 12 @ 5:30 p.m.

They also have many home games once school resumes from Winter break, check out the schedule in the Fieldhouse or check grcc.edu/womensbasketballschedule.

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Stay active this winter season
By Christina Kim
Assistant Sports Editor

In the bleak winter months of Michigan, it is easy to use the cold and snow as an excuse not to go for that daily jog, but the benefits of staying physically active throughout the year are worth the chill.

According to the 2008 Physical Activities Guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “An active lifestyle can lower the risk of early death from a variety of causes.”

Taking the winter months off makes it even harder to start again in the spring. Now is also a good time to pick up something new, like skiing or ice skating, to begin the path to a healthier lifestyle.

Another problem that comes with the short winter days is the onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which has many symptoms of depression, including fatigue, sadness, apathy, and lack of interest in daily activities and social interactions.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, SAD is a diagnosable mental health disorder often attributed to the lack of light during the winter months, mild cases of which can benefit from additional exposure to the sun.

So, strap on those snowshoes and get some vitamin-D to beat the winter blues. Here are a few options to stay active and have fun throughout the Michigan winter.

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Sports Briefs for December 10, 2008
Compiled by Collegiate Staff

UPCOMING EVENTS AT FORD FIELDHOUSE
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Wed. Jan. 7 @ 7:30 p.m. against Lansing CC
Wed. Jan. 14 @ 7:30 p.m. against Kalamazoo Valley CC

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Wed. Dec 10 @ 7:00 p.m. against Ancilla College
Fri. Dec. 12 @ 5:30 p.m. against Hope College JV
Wed. Jan 7 @ 5:30 p.m. against Lansing CC
Wed. Jan 14 @ 7:30 p.m. against Kalamazoo Valley CC

INTRAMURALS REMINDER
A reminder to students and employees, intramurals are returning next semester! GRCC will offer many new activities such as: dodgeball, racquetball, basketball, bowling, indoor flag football, Wii sports tournament, and a Madden NFL 09 Xbox 360 tournament. Please check out grcc.edu/intramurals for information.

CHECK OUT COLLEGIATE BLOGS AND OUR NEW WEBSITE
The Collegiate newspaper now has a new web address, www.thecollegiatelive.com. You can find all of our recent articles as well as articles from the past. Don’t forget to check out our new blogs.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
We would like to get feedback from you, our readers on our pages. Please feel free to contact the sports editors.

Dana Finkler
Funkyfink11@yahoo.com

Christina Kim
Christinakim@email.grcc.edu

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