Defense again paves the way for
Warrior men in 67-50 win

1-6-07 

The Lewis-Clark State College men’s basketball team put on another defensive clinic Saturday night and opened Frontier Conference season play with a big 67-50 win over Westminster College at the LCSC Activity Center. 

The Warriors, ranked among the defensive leaders in the NAIA in several categories, held Westminster to nearly 20 points below its season average in points and its season worst shooting percentage. What makes this so impressive is that Westminster was picked to win the conference in a preseason vote of the league coaches. 

The win was the ninth in 10 games for the Warriors, who have allowed an average of only 51.4 points during that stretch. LCSC is 12-4 overall, while Westminster falls to 8-8.
(Jared Tikker going up strong during the 2nd half) 

Although LCSC sputtered the first few minutes of both halves, LCSC didn’t give the Griffins much room to breathe. Westminster hit only 13-of-44 shots from the field, 29.5 percent, and was only 4-of-22 from the 3-point line, 18.2 percent.  The Warriors also held a 37-31 rebounding advantage and forced 20 turnovers. 

Twenty of the Griffins’ 50 points came at the free-throw line. 

LCSC, which ranks seventh in the NAIA in points allowed per game at 59.6, limited Westminster to 17 first-half points in taking a 31-17 lead. Still, the Griffins fought back 47-41 with 9:18 left in the game, but LCSC proceeded to go on a 15-3 run over the next six minutes to put the game away. 

Senior guard Teran Lee led the Warriors with 18 points and four steals, while Chris Pitts had 13 points and tied freshman point guard Napoleon Gordon with a team-high nine rebounds. Gordon added three steals and six points. 

Pitts joined fellow posts Mike Gordy and Jared Tikker in helping the Warriors control the inside game, which included getting Westminster in foul trouble early in the game. The Warriors responded by hitting 22-of-28 free throws.

LCSC hit 21-of-50 shots from the field and only 3-of-16 at the 3-point line. 

Nate Sanchez had 20 points and nine rebounds to pace Westminster, while Danny Stosich had a game-high 14 boards. 

LCSC is back in action next weekend for two road games, playing at the University of Great Falls Friday and then Montana State University-Northern in Havre on Saturday. Both games begin at 7 p.m.