LCSC defeats Rocky Mountain 84-73 for FC title

 2-24-07 

LEWISTON, Idaho – With four players scoring in double figures, the Lewis-Clark State College men’s basketball team wrapped up the regular-season Frontier Conference title and the No. 1 spot in next week’s conference tournament with a hard-fought 84-73 win over Rocky Mountain on Saturday night at the LCSC Activity Center. 

The Warriors, who were picked to finish fourth in the conference in the preseason coaches’ poll, wrapped up the title with a 12-2 conference record and will take an overall mark of 23-6 and a six-game win streak into the conference tournament. 

LCSC, ranked No. 16 in the NAIA, led the entire way, but never could put Rocky Mountain, 17-13 overall and 7-7 in conference play, away until the final minutes. 

Teran Lee, one of five LCSC seniors playing in their final contest at home, led the Warrior charge with 23 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Junior post Mike Gordy added 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while senior Chris Pitts posted his third double-double of the season with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. He also had three assists and three steals. Junior Robert Comer added 11 points. 
(Gordy driving for 2 of his 19 points versus Rocky)

Comer hit a 3-pointer midway through the first half to spark a 9-0 run and LCSC eventually led by 10 before Elijah Swan hit a half-court shot to make it 41-36 at halftime. Swan, a 5-foot-8 junior guard, had a huge game for Rocky with a game-high 29 points. 

Rocky got the margin down to four on three occasions in the second half, including 69-65 when Swan hit his fifth 3-point shot of the game. Comer, however, responded with a 3-pointer and the Warriors outscored the Bears 15-7 the rest of the way for the win. 

For the game, LCSC hit 30-of-64 shots from the field, 46.9 percent, while Rocky Mountain was 29-of-52, 55.8 percent. However, inside the 3-point line, the Bears hit 20-of-26 shots, 76.9 percent. RMC was 9-of-26 from behind the arc. 

Both teams now head to the conference tournament, which opens Wednesday in Butte, Mont. LCSC will play No. 8 seed Great Falls on Wednesday at 7 p.m., Pacific time. Great Falls finished at 1-13 in the conference standings.  

The other pairing on Wednesday features No. 2 seed Westminster against No. 7 seed Montana-Western at 3 p.m. Thursday’s two games have No. 3 seed Carroll and No. 6 seed Montana Tech at 3 p.m., and No. 4 seed Montana State-Northern and No. 5 seed Rocky Mountain at 7 p.m. The semifinals will be held Friday and the championship game will be Saturday night.

(The Warriors 06-07 traditional pre-game huddle)