LCSC men’s basketball team rolls over TRU 106-57

12-29-07

A day after hearing its coach lament about its lethargic start, the Lewis-Clark State College men’s basketball team scored the game’s first 11 points and made short work of Thompson Rivers University, claiming a 106-57 win at the LCSC Activity Center on Saturday afternoon. 

The Warriors, 9-5 overall, also defeated Thompson Rivers 97-66 on Friday. In that game, the Warriors led just 24-22 before being able to pull away. After the game, LCSC coach Tim Walker emphasized the Warriors need to focus on the start of the game and play better defense. 

LCSC took the message to heart by converting turnovers into fastbreak opportunities and a couple of 3-point baskets to race out to an 11-0 lead just 2:12 into the contest. Thompson Rivers cut the margin to 13-7, but LCSC went on a 25-9 run for a 38-16 lead and never looked back. The Warriors scored a season high 61 points in the first half and led by 32, 61-29, at halftime. TRU never got closer than 31 the rest of the way, while LCSC’s biggest lead in the second half was 50. 

“We talked about focusing on our approach to the game and other than some blocking out issues, I thought we played well,” Walker said. “We got their attention. I thought our ball movement was good.” 

For the third straight game, the Warriors shot lights out from the field. The team, which hit 21-of-31 shots from the field in the first half, finished 34-of-56 for 60.7 percent. During its three-game win streak, LCSC is 102 of 170 from the field for an even 60 percent. Included in that mark is a 30-of-55 effort at the 3-point line for 55.6 percent. 

“We shot the ball well and you can score a lot of points when the ball goes in the hole like that,” Walker says. 

LCSC has five players finish in double figures, eight players with seven or more points and all 10 with at least four points. Also, every player but one had a rebound and eight of the 10 had at least one assist. 

Senior forward Mike Gordy again had another solid outing with a game-high 25 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and a 10-of-12 effort at the foul line. Junior guard Brian Duckworth (6-of-7 from the field) and sophomore guard J.R. Gordon added 14 points apiece, while Rob Comer (4-of-4) added 11 and Justin Fraser scored 10. 

Jon Daly and Lewiston freshman Andrew Packwood each had eight points and tied for game-high rebounding honors with TRU’s Brian Smith with seven. The eight points and seven rebounds for Packwood are both season highs. 

Gordon added five assists and three steals, while Duckworth had five assists and two steals. Fraser added three assists and three steals as LCSC forced 23 turnovers in the game and held TRU to just a 20-of-58 performance from the field (34.5 percent). 

TRU, which is from Kamloops, British Columbia, lost for the 16th time in its last 17 games to fall to 3-16 on the season. TRU was paced by 12 points from Matt Pierce, and 11 from Geoff Matthews. 

Saturday’s contest was the final nonconference game of the season for LCSC, which begins defense of its Frontier Conference title on Jan. 5 in Salt Lake City against Westminster. LCSC and Westminster tied for the top spot in the coaches’ preseason poll. 

“We got two wins and I think we got better on the defensive end,” Walker said about the two wins over TRU. “We are guarding the point better and playing better defensively. We still have some things to work on.” 

LCSC’s next home game is Jan. 10 against Great Falls at 8 p.m.