FLINT, Michigan – Mott Community College improved to 6-2 on the season with a decisive 94-69 victory over visiting Columbus State on Saturday in Flint.
The Bears returned to the friendly confines of Ballenger Fieldhouse after a rough stretch of three road games including Monday’s loss to no. 9-ranked Lansing. Mott finished 2-1 on the trip, with hard-fought wins over Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo Valley.
The overmatched Cougars looked like they might stick around in the first half after Mott’s leading scorer, sophomore Diandre Wilson, was whistled for his third foul with nine minutes left before halftime. The Bears responded, led by forwards Marcus Cole and Robert McCalley, and took a 16-point lead into the break.
Wilson (featured in the video above), who scored 61 combined points in the Bears’ last two games, returned in the second half with the game well in hand.
McCalley led all scorers with 21 points and nine rebounds. Freshman sharpshooter Shawn Pardee added 20. Deon Palmer, an impressive frontline prospect from Fort Wayne, pulled down 11 rebounds.
Mott led by as many as 30 in the second half and had plenty of playing time to dish out to reserve players. You can see the depth of Mott’s roster this season, and it appears to be coming together well, especially on the offensive end. The Bears can score from all over the court, are athletic from top to bottom and have two guards who can fill it up from range.
The Cougars continue their skid, falling to 1-6 on the season.
The Bears will have an opportunity to avenge the Lansing loss on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Ballenger Fieldhouse. The Stars are 6-1 on the season with their lone loss coming against Owens (Ohio), coached by former Mott assistant Dave Clarke.
The game will be broadcast live at MRSN.us or on the TuneInRadio app.