Lockett-led Vikings victorious vs. Lake Michigan

Trailing by 10 points at halftime, the Glen Oaks Community College women's basketball team used a third-quarter surge to top Lake Michigan College 55-51 Thursday at home. 

Freshman guard Kennedy Lockett scored 12 of her game- and career-high 25 points in the first half to keep GOCC in the contest, but the Vikings trailed 29-19 at intermission. Sophomore point guard Kylie Quist drained a 3-pointer and classmate Kaytlin Smith scored to get things rolling for the Vikings to start the third quarter. Lockett would go on to sink a free throw and a trey to make it a one-possession game before Jordyn Partee found Kulayjah Weller on a fastbreak that ended in a layup to tie things up at 30-30. 

Lake Michigan pulled ahead by a basket, but Glen Oaks answered with made shots by Jayla Parker-Vincent and then pulled ahead with a deep two-point field goal by Quist to make it 34-32 in favor of GOCC. A free throw by Parker-Vincent and a shot off the glass at the horn by Lockett put the Vikings ahead 39-38 with 10 minutes remaining. 

In the fourth quarter, Amanda Barber knocked down a triple and Partee got her own rebound for a putback and a five-point cushion. Another Barber trey gave the Vikings a 47-38 lead — their biggest of the game, but LMC would go on a 7-0 run that forced a Glen Oaks timeout with 4:23 on the clock. 

A pump fake on a double-team under the basket by Partee led to a bucket and a Lockett 3-pointer made it a six-point lead for the home team with just over a minute to play. Lake Michigan scored off an inbound turnover and at the foul line to get it back to one possession, followed by an offensive rebound and a putback to climb back to within one point with 15 seconds remaining. 

Lockett calmly connected on a pair of free throws, Quist came up with a critical block on a 3-point attempt on the other end and Smith hit a foul shot to preserve the win. 

Partee finished with seven points, Barber tossed in six, Partee, Smith and Quist each had five and Weller notched four. Weller grabbed a team-best 12 rebounds and Partee came away with 11. Quist paced GOCC with seven assists and two steals and Smith had eight boards. 

The Vikings moved to 6-17 overall and 2-8 in MCCAA Western Conference play. 

Check back soon for more photos from the game.