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SIDNEY — The Montcalm Community College men's basketball team opened the 2026-27 season with a pair of victories over the weekend, defeating Minnesota North College-Itasca, 85-81, on Oct. 30 and Minnesota North College-Hibbing, 74-70, on Oct. 31. 

The two wins gave the Centurions a 2-0 start as Centurions head coach Zach Ingles' squad began putting the pieces together with a roster that Ingles recently described as the deepest and most diverse group he's assembled at MCC. 

Despite the unbeaten start, Ingles said his team showed flashes of brilliance mixed with the growing pains expected from a roster filled with newcomers. 

“We had two games that shouldn't have been close,” Ingles said. “We had 20 minutes where we were dominant. Then we had brain blunders. That's part of what happens with young players.” 

MCC 85, Minnesota North-Itasca 81 

The Centurions led 40-28 at halftime and appeared in control before holding off a second-half surge from Itasca. 

Returning sophomore guard Taylen Carver (Louisville, Ky.) led the way with 21 points and eight rebounds, continuing the strong play MCC expected from one of four returning sophomores on this year's roster.  

Jahmere Evans (Indianapolis, Ind.) added 13 points and three rebounds, while freshman Jamarey Harris (Rivera Beach, Fla.) contributed 10 points and four assists. Freshman Aeris Lawson (Westlake, Fla.) also scored 10 points, and Marcel Ksiazek (Warsaw, Poland) controlled the glass with six points and 10 rebounds. 

Ingles loved that the team’s leader, Carver, is back and fully healthy, returning from a season-ending injury last year. 

“Tay is Tay,” Ingles said. “It’s good to have Tay back.” 

The coach said season-opening nerves likely played a role in some of the inconsistencies. 

“The first game is always getting the jitters out,” he said. “You're always happy to walk away with a win when you're not playing your best.”

MCC 74, Minnesota North-Hibbing 70 

The second game presented a different challenge. 

Minnesota North-Hibbing took a 37-33 halftime lead before the Centurions rallied with a 41-point second half to complete the comeback victory. 

Lawson led MCC with 23 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Harris added 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while Carver scored 14 points and recorded three steals. Freshman forward Cage Taylor (Lexington, Ky.) scored nine points. 

Ingles said Minnesota North-Hibbing's size and scoring ability created problems throughout the contest. 

“We played a little better team that second game,” Ingles said. “They have two good scorers. Anytime there's one scorer it's problematic, but the second one being 6-foot-8 always presents a really good challenge.” 

The coach also noted the difficulty of playing back-to-back games early in the season. 

“It's always tricky playing a second game back-to-back,” Ingles said. “It was the same type of game — moments of pure bliss, then some blunders.” 

Freshmen make early impact 

Several freshmen impressed Ingles during opening weekend, including highly recruited 6-foot-11 center Jackson Enearu (Valkenswaard, Netherlands), who came off the bench against Hibbing to post five points, eight rebounds and two blocks. 

“Jackson has the world by the fingertips,” Ingles said. “He's getting Division I calls daily.” 

Ingles was equally impressed with Enearu and Taylor's contributions. 

“Jackson and freshman teammate Cage Taylor had a great weekend, the best you can possibly imagine,” he said. “They were catalysts and came in and balanced us out.” 

The performances reinforced what Ingles believed entering the season, when he touted the program's size, depth and talented freshman class. The Centurions feature three frontcourt players standing 6-foot-9 or taller and a roster that includes players from across the United States and Europe. 

Looking ahead 

Although Ingles was pleased to begin the season 2-0, he emphasized that the Centurions remain a work in progress. 

“Again, I was happy to come away with a win in each game,” he said. “This team showed some fight. These were good, competitive games, so it's only going to help down the stretch.” 

MCC now turns its attention to its next matchup against Alma College as the Centurions continue refining their identity. 

“We just need to keep fine-tuning things,” Ingles said. “Keep winning practices. We're a long way from being a finished product, but I like what we have. Keep our head to the grindstone and keep pushing.” 

The Centurions will host their first home game of the season against Alma College Wednesday, Nov. 11. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. Last year, the Scots finished 5-20 overall.