This Week In Warrior Athletics

December 26, 2006

EVENTS: 

Women’s and men’s basketball doubleheaders: vs. Bethany University, Friday, Dec. 29, women-6 p.m.; men-8 p.m., LCSC Activity Center; vs. Bethany University, Saturday, Dec. 30, women-2 p.m., men-4 p.m.

Canned food drive – Anyone who brings two canned food items to the Dec. 29 games will be admitted free to the games. The items will be donated to the local food bank. 

Women’s basketball: 

The Warriors look to finish the pre-conference schedule on a strong note in the two games. LCSC is 12-1 on the season and ranked No. 8 in the NAIA Division I poll.

Bethany University, located in Santa Cruz, Calif., is an NAIA Division II school, and a member of the California Pacific Conference. The Bruins suffered a rough start to the season and lost their first seven games before they defeated Simpson University at home.

Bethany, which had played only four games at home this season, stands 1-10 overall heading into Wednesday’s game against New Patlz State University in Santa Cruz. The Bruins then will make their first trip to Lewiston to face the Warriors.

Bethany will at least know what it will be up against as it played two games earlier this season in Helena, Mont., and fell to both Carroll College 69-52 and Montana-Western 77-49. LCSC and Bethany also have one common opponent this year in Dominican University. Bethany lost at home 60-41, while LCSC won on a neutral court 83-62.

Warrior coach Brian Orr says the focus on the two games will be on the Warriors and preparing for the conference schedule, which begins on Jan. 6 at home against Westminster. That’s the same approach the Warriors used in defeating University College of Fraser Valley 73-42 and 97-69 earlier this week.

Bethany, with only one player taller than 5-foot-11, will have its hands full trying to stop the Warriors inside duo of 6-3 post Ashley Baker and 6-1 forward Aundrea Morrison. Baker, the school’s all-time leading rebounder, is coming off a huge two-game series with Fraser Valley when she had 46 points, 23 rebounds (10 on offense) hit 17 of 33 shots from the field and 12 of 18 at the foul line. She had a season-high 15 rebounds in the first game and then 27 points in the second game.

Morrison, who also put up impressive number despite being ill, leads LCSC in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game, along with 6.0 rebounds. Baker is averaging 15.9 points and a team-best 7.9 rebounds a game. Janeen Nelson also is averaging in double-figures scoring at 11.7 points.

LCSC is averaging 80.2 points per game and only allowing 60.5. The Warriors are averaging nearly nine more rebounds a game than opponents and forcing nearly 23 turnovers a game. LCSC opponents are shooting less than 40 percent from the field and just 30 percent from the 3-point line. 

Men’s basketball: 

With so many new faces on the roster this season, Warrior coach Tim Walker knew it would take some time for the team to come together. Although injuries have played a role in changing LCSC’s lineup and rotation, the team has responded.

LCSC stands 9-4 and winning six of its last seven games, including 78-49 and 100-61 wins over Fraser Valley earlier this week. In the first game, LCSC held UCFV to just 19 percent shooting in the second half, while the Warriors compiled their second-highest point total of the season in the second game.

Walker says he was happy with the way the Warriors performed in the two games, but knows the team can play better. He’s looking for LCSC to be consistent on both ends of the court, especially with the start of conference play around the corner.

Like its women’s team, the Bethany men’s club plays host to New Paltz State University on Wednesday before heading to Lewiston. The Bruins stand 2-8 on the season with its two wins against an Australian team and a one-point win over Dominican University. Included in the Bruins losses is a 73-60 setback to fellow Frontier Conference member Carroll College.

The Warriors feature a fairly balanced attack of late, which has helped the club of late. Mike Gordy has led the team in scoring in eight games, but freshman point guard Napoleon Gordon provided the spark in the Warriors’ last contest. He led five LCSC players in double figures with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field, and added five assists.

Gordy, a 6-7 junior post, leads LCSC in scoring and rebounding at 16.4 points and 5.8 rebounds. Teran Lee is at 12 points per game, while six other players are averaging between 6 and 8 points a game. Chris Pitts is averaging 5.6 rebounds per outing.

The Warriors again are one of the top NAIA defensive teams, holding opponents to just 40 percent shooting from the field and 60.3 points per game. LCSC is hitting better than 47 percent from the field and is outrebounding opponents by better than three per game.