CLC Winter Classic

The Central Lakes College Winter Classic basketball event will be Jan. 6 and 7 in the Brainerd campus gymnasium, with the Raiders hosting men's and women's teams from Vermilion (Ely), Hibbing, and Minnesota West (Worthington). The schedule: Friday, Jan. 6, 2 p.m. Women - Vermilion (2-8) vs. Mn West (9-4); 4 p.m. Men - Vermilion (8-5) vs. Mn West (4-6); 6p.m. Women - Hibbing (2-10) vs. CLC (5-6); 8 p.m. Men - Hibbing (6-6) vs. CLC (13-0). Saturday, Jan. 7, Noon Women - Mn West vs. Hibbing; 2 p.m. Men - Mn West vs. Hibbing; 4 p.m. Women - CLC vs. Vermilion; 6 p.m. Men - CLC vs. Vermilion. The concession stand will be open for the convenience of players and fans. Taylor Smaller of Vermilion leads the Northern Division with a 24.9 scoring average, 47.5% accuracy from the 3-point line, 4 steals per game and 6.5 assists per game. Teammate Kemp McCray tops the 2-point shot charts at 57.7% and rebounding with 13.5 per game. Hibbing's Handful Pour is averaging 17.3 points. Orie Brown of Mn West leads the Southern Division in scoring with 19.5 per game. CLC's Michael Farrington is No. 1 in steals (3.7 pg) and assists (8.5 pg) and second in field goal accuracy at 62.4%. Teammate Maurice Hernandez is third in scoring with a 16.5 average, and Ronnie Kornbaum is second in 3-pt. shooting at 46%.

Men roll to 13th win

Raiders keep streak alive

The Central Lakes College men's basketball team racked up win No. 13, 104-66, over Rainy River Dec. 17 in the finale of a two-day invitational on the Brainerd campus. Twelve players scored, led by Southern Division Player of the Week Michael Farrington (pictured) with 23 points. Kwamaine Johnson added 22, Maurice Hernandez 14, and Kahreem Horsley 11. The Raiders held a 49-28 rebounding edge and were led by Maurice with 8 and Kwamaine with 7. Michael led the assist department with six. Ronnie Kornbaum led in steals with three. CLC, which led 46-26 at the half, shot 51% from the field. The Raiders are on holiday break until Jan. 6 and 7 for the CLC Winter Classic with Vermilion, Hibbing, and Minnesota West.

Women fall

A late rally fell short vs. Rainy River for the Raider women, losing 61-58, to end a five-game win streak and fall to 5-6. The team shot just 33% from the field and 46% at the line and trailed at the midpoint, 25-22. They couldn't stop Lenae Rash, who scored 35 points for the Voyageurs. Jalynn Lamb had 15 points for CLC, Betsy Helmeke added 11, Nikki Pearson 8, and Elizabeth Mattson 7. Lindsey Roos had 8 rebounds and Betsy added 6. Nikki led in steals with 5 and she and Betsy each had 4 assists. With 4 seconds left, Kara Kotzer was at the free throw line for two shots as CLC trailed 60-58. She missed the first and then deliberately missed the second in hopes of a CLC rebound and put-back, but the deliberate miss didn't catch any iron and thus turned the ball over.

Raiders defeat FDL

Men win 12th

Maurice Hernandez scored 18 points as the NJCAA Division III’s top-ranked Central Lakes College Raiders (12-0) won, 97-52, over Fond Du Lac Friday night in the first round of the Central Lakes Invitational. Ronnie Kornbaum added 16, Kwamaine Johnson 13 and Brandon Davis 12. Michael Farrington contributed 11 assists, and Brandon Davis had nine rebounds. The Raiders shot 53% from the field, 31% from the line, and 42% from beyond the arc. They led 56-29 at the half.

Women win 5th straight

Jalynn Lamb led the Raider women with 18 points in a 80-64 win over Fond Du Lac, the fifth straight CLC victory after starting 0-5 this season. Nikki Pearson added 17 points and 3 steals and Elizabeth Mattson 12 (and 9 rebounds) and newcomer Hannah Lamberg 9 points. The Raiders made 39% of their shots from the field, 60% from the line, and 84% from the three-point arc. CLC held a 38-34 halftime lead.

Mays is All-American

Congratulations to sophomore defensive end Frank Mays of Central Lakes College, who is an All-American. Mays has received honorable mention on the Division III All-America team announced by the National Junior College Athletic Association. Frank had 47 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2011 and 42 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 2010. The 6-foot-10, 255-pound standout from Bemidji earlier was named to the All-Southern Division first team of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference, joined on that honor squad by sophomore teammates Dan Ngandali, Buffalo defensive back; Averey Duncan, Stillwater wide receiver; Greg Wright, Milaca linebacker; and Ryan Tri, Eden Valley wide receiver; and freshman Jared Hoemberg, Bertha defensive back. Five other Raiders were second team and five were honorable mention All-Division. CLC went 7-3 in the 2011 football season.

No. 1

The Central Lakes College men's basketball team moved up from No. 2 to the top spot in the Dec. 13 Division III rankings just released by the National Junior College Athletic Association. The 11-0 Raiders, who face to opponents this weekend which they have already defeated this season (Rainy River and Fond Du Lac), jumped past co-holders of the runner-up spot, Sullivan County (12-1, host site for the March national tournament) and Sandhills, and the previous leader, Herkimer County Community College, whose loss dropped it to No. 5. Roxbury is rated fourth. Rochester of Minnesota (8-2) is among those receiving votes after the Top 10.

Coaches, alums help conduct clinic

On Sat., Dec. 10, CLC volleyball coaches and alumni helped conduct the NCAA-AVCA Powerade kids clinic held at the University of Minnesota. CLC Head Coach Jane Peterson was the lead clinician who helped coordinate the clinic. Her assistant, Ken Miller, led a supporting cast that included ex-Raiders Lisa Litke Sorenson (coach of the Tartan High club in Oakdale), Melissa Otremba and Nate Altendahl (former student coach) of the Central Lakes Juniors, and Samantha Boyer (a coach for Club Liberty, Monticello). Ken Miller is the associate executive director for the North Country Region of USA Volleyball in which club teams compete throughout the winter and spring.

Teams win at Rainy River

Men win 11th

The Central Lakes College men's team built a 62-36 halftime lead and defeated Rainy River, 120-89, Saturday at International Falls -- win No. 11 for the second-ranked Raiders. Twelve Raiders scored and CLC made 47 of 98 shots (48 percent) from the field. The Raiders launched 38 from beyond the arc, converting 12 (32 percent). Maurice Hernandez led the scoring with 20 points, Brandon Davis added 17, Dylan Moorlag 15, Jesse Fleming 13, and Michael Farrington 11 plus 10 rebounds and 14 assists).

Women win 4th straight

The CLC women's basketball team downed Rainy River, 55-32, Saturday. Veteran Lindsey Roos (shown) scored 18 points and had five steals in one of her best games yet, and Elizabeth Mattson added 14 points, JaLynn Lamb 12 points and 9 rebounds, and Nikki Pearson hauled in 10 rebounds. The Raiders, who built a 30-13 halftime lead, have won four straight after losing their first five and are looking forward to going over .500 with games Friday vs. Fond Du Lac and Saturday vs. Rainy in the invitational at CLC.

Raiders defeat Hibbing

Men are 10-0

Balanced scoring with five players in double figures led the undefeated and NJCAA Division III second-ranked Central Lakes Raider men to a 83-59 win over Hibbing in a non-division game Friday night. It was their 10th straight against no losses. Ronnie Kornbaum led all scorers with 20 followed by Maurice Hernandez’s 14. Brandon Davis and Jesse Fleming added 13 each and Kwamaine Johnson scored 12 for CLC.

Women win third straight

Jalynn Lamb tallied 23 points and Kara Krotzer 15 as the Raider women won their third straight, 79-46, at Hibbing. Nikki Pearson added 11 points and seven assists and Emily Weber scored 11 in the non-division win. The Raiders held the Cardinals to 28 percent shooting. CLC converted 23 of 32 from the line. The CLC teams play Rainy River today at International Falls.

Raiders rout Concordia JV

Central Lakes College shot 61 percent from the field en route to a 115-59 win over the Concordia (Moorhead) JV Tuesday, Dec. 6 in Brainerd. Maurice Hernandez scored 22 points, Brandon Davis (pictured) added 16, and Cody Hoffman 15 for CLC. Five players scored from the three-point line for the Raiders, who are ranked second in the NJCAA Division III. The winners made 55 percent of their shots from beyond the arc.“The guards were looking out for me in the post so I was able to keep scoring,” said Maurice. “Everyone on the team has been so unselfish. We're finding each other and making good passes. Our defense has been unstoppable.”The Raiders built a 57-31 halftime lead on their way to a ninth straight season win against no losses. Next up is a road trip to Hibbing and International Falls for games vs. the Cardinals and Rainy River Voyageurs respectively Friday and Saturday.

Raiders ranked second in nation

The Central Lakes College men's basketball team (8-0) is ranked No. 2 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III poll this week, up one spot from the previous week. Herkimer County (8-0) of New York remains at the top. Sullivan County, N.Y., (10-1) dropped from No. 2 to No. 3. Rounding out the Top 10: 4. Sandhills, N.C. (10-0), 5. Roxbury, Mass. (6-0), 6, Brookhaven, Texas (14-1), 7. Mountain View, Texas (14-2), 7. Brookdale, N.J. (5-0), 9. Davidson County, N.C. (9-1), 10. Joliet JC, Ill. (6-2).

Raider teams defeat St. Cloud

The Central Lakes College men's basketball team ran its record to 8-0 on Sat., Dec.  with a 105-41 non-conference annihilation of St. Cloud Technical and Community College in the Raider gym. Ronnie Kornbaum with 19 and Kahreem Horsley led the scoring with 19 and 18 respectively. The Raiders shot 57 % from the field and hit 8 of 22 three-pointers. CLC takes its unblemished record against the Concordia JV in Brainerd Tuesday before going north this week, with a Friday battle at Hibbing and a Saturday test at the borderland of Rainy River in International Falls. CLC is ranked third in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association Division III poll.

Women win 67-43
The CLC women picked up their second straight win, a 67-43 route of St. Cloud Technical and Community in the first game Sat., Dec. 3. Elizabeth Mattson and Emily Weber scored 14 points each and Lindsey Roos and Lena Montano each scored 11. The Raiders are now 2-5 with the rugged Southern Division slate just around the corner. The Raiders' upcoming opponents, Northern Division members Hibbing and Rainy River, are each coming off a lopsided loss to the powerful national defending champion Anoka-Ramsey Rams of the potent MCAC South. Both teams have losing records thus far in 2011-12.

Men win seventh

The Central Lakes College men, ranked third in National Junior College Athletic Association Division III, notched their seventh straight win of the season with a 113-60 victory over Fond du Lac in a non-division game Friday at CLC. Kwamaine Johnson leading the way with 20 points. Maurice Hernandez scored 19 followed by Ronnie Kornbaum’s 14. The Raiders shot 48 percent from the field, while holding Fon du Lac to 35 percent. “Thirteen guys played great and scored for us,” said Coach Jim Russell. “Kevin Kuefler led us with seven rebounds, but went down with a knee injury. Michael Farrington had a real nice game with 14 assists and no turnovers. Everyone was involved and we played good defense.”The winners also shot 58 percent from the floor, making 46 of 80 shots.

Women get first win

The Central Lakes women win their first game of the season Fri., Dec. 2 over Fond du Lac, 64-34, in Brainerd. Jalynn Lamb led all scorers with 20 points and also hauled in nine rebounds. Nine other Raiders scored led by Emily Weber’s eight points. “Everyone had a chance to play,” said  Coach Dennis Eastman. “We had 24 points off the bench. We just have to improve on our shooting.” The Raiders shot 37 percent (28-75) from the field, 50 percent from the line (7-14), and converted one of 13 three-point attempts. The win snapped a five-game losing streak.