WALLA WALLA , Wash. - The Lewis-Clark State College men's basketball team shot lights out in the first half en route to a comfortable lead and rolled to a 91-66 win over Bethany University of California in the Walla Walla University Invitational on Friday afternoon.
The Warriors, 2-1 overall, shot 66 percent from the field in the first half, which helped them roll out to an 51-26 halftime advantage.
Bethany, a member of the NAIA Division II California Pacific Conference, couldn't get any closer than 18 in the second half as it fell to 1-2 on the season.
The Warriors face a tough task on Saturday when they take on Northwest University at 6 p.m. in the pre-determined tournament schedule. Northwest University defeated host Walla Walla University 106-66 in the other game on Friday.
In Friday's contest, LCSC was in control from the start and enjoyed its best offensive outing of the season.
"We definitely shot the ball well in the first half," LCSC assistant coach Tim Collins said. "We were 13-of-14 at the foul line and definitely had a balanced scoring attack. All 11 players who played in the game scored."
Guard Curtis Allen went 8-of-12 from the field to finish with 19 points, while JR Gordon and James Craft each finished with 11. Craft, a 7-foot transfer from Tennessee State University, saw his first action in a Warrior uniform after sitting out with an injury. He made a strong impression by going 4-for-4 from the field and 3-of-4 at the foul line.
Freshman Terrell Wallace finished with nine points after going 3-of-5 at the 3-point line.
LCSC's bench played well, contributing 35 points.
Tanner McIntosh and Allen finished with five rebounds apiece, while Allen also had three steals.
For the game, LCSC shot 55 percent (32-of-58) from the field and held Bethany to just 40 percent (22-of-59), including 18 percent (3-of-16) from the 3-point line.
LCSC finished with a 34-25 rebounding edge, but both teams committed 24 turnovers.
Kenny Thompson led Bethany with 14 points, while George Golden added 13.
