LEWISTON, Idaho – The 2011-12 Lewis-Clark State College men’s basketball team etched its name into the Warrior program record books with 18 three-pointers at the Activity Center on Friday night. The shooting onslaught came in the Warriors’ 104-42 win over Quest University on day one of the LCSC Invitational Tournament.
With 12 three-pointers by halftime, LCSC put itself in good position to catch the record set during the 2003-04 season. The Warriors continued to shoot well from the outside in the second half and with just under a minute to go Sean Fischer hit a shot from the corner to tie the all-time mark.
The shot was Fischer’s first and only 3-pointer on the night in a game in which nearly every Warrior, it seemed, could nail it from long range. Senior Darin Stewart led the way with six 3-pointers in eight attempts; PJ Bolte and Dontie Archie had three makes apiece; Chris Hepperly had two; and Spencer Drury, Joey Wayman, and Kale Schmidt had one each.
The win lifts Lewis-Clark State to 7-2 on the year as the team prepares for a major test on Saturday against Lewis & Clark College. Lewis & Clark was knocked off by Great Falls 86-73 in the first game of the LCSC Invitational on Friday, nevertheless, the team has defeated a number of strong programs this year including Eastern Oregon which topped LCSC last week.
If the Warriors shoot anything like they did on Friday they should put themselves in a position to win. LCSC shot 51.9 percent from the floor overall, and made 18-of-37 attempts from the outside (48.6 percent)
Stewart led with 22 points, Bolte added 17, and Danny Marshall and Hepperly had 10 apiece.
In rebounding, Nick Fromm and Marshall led with seven apiece as the Warriors worked their way to a 44-30 advantage in boards on the night. LCSC also had a 15-4 lead in steals, a 32-4 lead in points scored off of turnovers, and a 32-2 advantage in fast break points.
Thanks to the surplus of scoring the Warriors had a season-high 31 assists. Drury and Wayman led with six assists apiece. Wayman also led in steals with four.
Quest, a school located in Squamish, British Columbia, was led by Kang Gurminder’s 12 points and two assists and Sonny Johal’s 10 points and five rebounds.
LCSC’s other 18 three-pointer night came back on Jan. 2, 2004, when the team defeated Prairie Bible College 116-58 in Lewiston. Joey Ray, who holds the Warrior record for most 3-pointers in a season with 114, was 7-of-7 from behind the arc in that game.
The invitational will continue on Saturday with Quest and Great Falls at 5:30 p.m., followed by LCSC and Lewis & Clark at 7:30 p.m.
