New Headline: "Lucas's Magic Lights Up Endgame
The Stars, making their first appearances at the NJCAA Division II national championships since 1996, ran into a strong Parkland team in Round 1.
Lansing Community College's women's basketball team endured a rude initiation to the NJCAA national tournament on Tuesday evening, falling 84-63 to Parkland College in Hickory, North Carolina, ending the Stars' national championship hopes in Round 1. LCC, the No. 7 seed, moves into the consolation bracket, with potentially three more games, beginning at 4 p.
m. Wednesday against 18-seed National Park College (from Hot Springs, Arkansas) in Hickory. The Stars (27-4), making their first appearance at the NJCAA Division II national championships since 1996, trailed 10-seed Parkland 37-33 late in the second quarter, before Parkland opened up an 11-point lead at the half.
LCC got the deficit back to six, at 52-46 in the third quarter, but Parkland then went on an 11-1 run to take control the game for good. Parkland was efficient offensively, making 31 of 58 shots (53. 4%), while LCC made 23 of 57 (40.
4%). The Stars also turned the ball over 22 times, while Parkland coughed it up 15 times, leading to a 22-7 difference in points off turnovers. It was LCC's first loss of 20 or more points in Megan Hudson's three years as head coach.