LCSC men fall in exhibition to No. 10 Washington State

11-5-07

PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State University men’s basketball team showed why it’s ranked as high as No. 10 in the NCAA Division I preseason polls by defeating Lewis-Clark State College 80-42 in an exhibition game at Beasley Coliseum on Sunday. 

The Warriors, playing their third game in three days, trailed 39-21 at halftime, but the Cougars’ had too much firepower and gradually pulled away in the second half. 

LCSC, ranked No. 12 in the NAIA, was led by 13 points from Mike Gordy, while Dorian Watson added 10. Napoleon Gordon added eight points and had a thunderous one-hand dunk on an alley-oop pass in the second half. 

The Warriors managed to get Cougar start forward Robbie Cowgill in foul trouble, but his replacement, 6-foot-7 Daven Harmeling scored a game-high 17 points and went 3-of-4 from the 3-point line. Caleb Forrest, a post, added 13 for the Cougars, also a majority coming on outside shots. 

WSU hit 30-of-60 shots from the field and held a 51-24 rebounding advantage over the smaller Warriors. 

LCSC did force 18 turnovers on in the contest, including 11 on steals, but shot 16-of-55 from the field, 29.1 percent, and gave up 18 offensive rebounds. 

The Warriors resume action in the Walla Walla Hoop Classic, a three-team round-robin tournament that opens Thursday in Walla Walla. LCSC takes on Andrews University on Thursday at 4 p.m., and then meets Walla Walla University on Friday at 2 p.m.