ACC women’s basketball team having fun as wins pile up

ALPENA -- The Alpena Community College women's basketball team has some bounce in its step these days.

Practices are light-hearted, team chemistry is strong and players are having fun.

Winning will do that for a program and the Lumberjacks are winning.

A lot.

After Wednesday's 56-51 win against Macomb - their fifth straight - the Lumberjacks sit at 10-11 overall.

Regardless of how the season ends, the Lumberjacks have been successful. With 10 wins, they're poised to post their highest win total in 10 years and have won at least 10 games for the first time since the 2011-12 season when they went 12-17.

"I wouldn't say I'm surprised. We have some talent and with the way things are in the conference, it's anybody's game," ACC coach Cindy DeRocher said. "We're all battling, we're really gelling and having a lot of fun."

While the Michigan Community College Athletic Association's Eastern Conference is perhaps more balanced than it's been in recent years, the Lumberjacks are turning in one of the best seasons in recent memory.

After Wednesday's win, ACC sits in sixth place in the conference with a 6-5 conference record and on the edge of third place behind three teams.

DeRocher knew her team might make some mistakes early and the Lumberjacks took some lumps in the first month of the season. Since then, the Lumberjacks have also shown a knack for playing teams close and winning close games.

"People have stepped up and we're playing with good energy and playing hard," DeRocher said. "All it takes is one game to get some momentum going."

On the court, the Lumberjacks have leaned on a mix of veteran leadership and young talent to present tough matchups for teams. In the paint, sophomore Jade Schultz has been a force, averaging 18.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Freshmen Allie DeRocher and Maddie Wilkinson give Alpena more size up front and can move the ball too. DeRocher and Wilkinson are averaging 11.2 and nine points per game respectively.

Sophomores Keagan Fischer and Mollie Girard provide veteran leadership in Alpena's backcourt and have shown a willingness to do whatever is asked, whether that means passing, scoring, or rebounding.

Fischer and Wilkinson are both averaging 2.3 assists per game and Girard is averaging a team-best three steals per game.

The Lumberjacks have also gotten needed depth from Linnea Hentkowski, Melanie Morrison, Jordan Kobielus, and Jerzie Belleville, though some injuries have left ACC with a short bench for some games.

"It's been a real team effort and it's been fun," DeRocher said. "When you look at the five who have consistently started for us, they were all leaders on their high school teams and every day we have somebody step up for us."

ACC's remaining schedule isn't easy, especially with games against Wayne, Schoolcraft, Delta, and Oakland - all teams ahead of the Lumberjacks in the conference - on tap.

But the Lumberjacks have already proven they can play with and beat their conference foes. In the previous three seasons combined, ACC won just five conference games.

This year has been different however and the Lumberjacks' recent winning streak includes wins over Macomb and Henry Ford and they've held their own and beaten Delta, St. Clair, and Schoolcraft, all of whom are just ahead of them in the conference standings.

"We're taking everything one day at a time," DeRocher said. "It's exciting. We've been looking at the conference standings and I think we can compete in this league."