Rainy River Community College has yet to figure out how to win a close game in 2010.
The Voyageurs entered the new year with some big wins under their belts and a respectable 5-5 record. Since? They are 1-7 with no wins in the Northern Division of the MCAC.
Wednesday night’s 62-57 loss at home to Vermilion dropped RRCC to 0-5 in the conference. Four of those losses were by seven points or less.
“When it comes down to a win, that’s been our killer all year — coming down to the end,” RRCC head coach Nate Berlin said.
Tomi McDonald, the National Division III Player of the Week and leading scorer in the Northern Division, led the Ironwomen with a game-high 24 points, but she made only 8 of 28 attempts. Kit Anderson played an even larger role, finishing with 12 points and 19 rebounds, including 12 on offense.
“That killed us. That really killed us,” Berlin said of the offensive rebounds.
Asha Johnson led RRCC with 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Ashley Walker (11 points) and Carley Lake (10) also finished in double figures and grabbed eight rebounds each. Walker dished out six assists. Shawncinee Lay finished with nine points and nine rebounds, but she was in foul trouble most of the night and shot only 3 of 16.
Kassie Bjorgo finished with only six points on 2 of 12 shooting for Vermilion (4-1 division, 7-11 overall), but her 3-pointer with 1:23 remaining broke the last tie and gave the visitors a 58-55 lead.
Talayla Jones answered with a jump shot to make it 58-57, but McDonald sank two free throws and then blocked a shot by Shawncinee Lay with 25 seconds remaining. McDonald made two more free throws to reach the final outcome.
“To win one on the road was big,” Vermilion coach Ray Podominick said.
How RRCC stayed close was another mystery.
The Voyageurs (0-5, 5-12) made only six shots in the first half, finishing 6 of 36 from the field (17 percent), yet only trailed by eight at 30-22 at the break. Lay sank back-to-back 3-pointers to put RRCC up 43-40 early in the second half, but the lead didn’t hold. RRCC led 55-50 with roughly three minutes to play before Vermilion closed the game on a 12-2 run.
“Can’t win games that way,” Berlin said.
The Voyageurs will look to rebound Saturday at division doormat Fond Du Lac, which had only one win heading into Wednesday’s action.
Game note
• RRCC’s Dashondra Brown, fourth in the division in scoring, received a 2-game suspension from the MCAC for getting ejected in Friday’s game at Central Lakes for a flagrant foul. RRCC also had to change Saturday’s outcome against Itasca from a loss to a forfeit loss, because Brown played, according to Berlin. Brown will miss Saturday’s game, but is expected to return Jan. 27 at Hibbing.
