January 7, 2008

Basketball team looks to stay perfect in conference play

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Warriors sent a message last week to the rest of the Frontier Conference that they are prepared to defend their title from a year ago with a 28-point win over No. 23-ranked Westminster on the road.

This week’s opponents, Great Falls and Montana State-Northern also sent messages that from top to bottom, this is going to be quite the conference race.

Great Falls is off to its best start since joining the league as it stands 1-1 in league play after defeating Rocky Mountain College last week. Overall, the Argonauts are 8-8.

Montana State-Northern did just the opposite last week, falling to Rocky Mountain but then stunning No. 9-ranked Carroll College in overtime. MSU-Northern is 1-1 in league play and 11-5 overall.

After the opening weekend, only two of the eight teams are undefeated in conference play and that’s because those two teams, LCSC and Montana Tech, have played only one conference game. The two teams that lost their only conference game are a combined 24-8 overall.

The Warriors have put up eye-popping numbers this season while off to a 12-3 start and a No. 16 ranking in the NAIA. The team is ranked in the NAIA’s top 10 in a staggering 12 categories, including leading the country in scoring margin at 28.8 points per game and rebounding margin at 13.6 per outing.

LCSC is also No. 2 in assists per game at just below 21, and also is second in steals per game at 15.6. LCSC is third in fewest points allowed at a little less than 53 per game and is third in offensive rebounds per game at 19.1.

The Warriors also are fourth in assist/turnover ratio, fifth in turnover margin and total rebounds per game, and are seventh in defensive rebounds. The team also is eighth in field goal percentage defense and 10th in points per game at 81.7 per outing.

Individually, senior guard Jade Fulbright is ninth in steals per game at nearly three a contest. Fulbright has 45 steals this season and 291 in her career, which places her fourth on the all-time LCSC steals list. She could pass Brianne Kottwitz, who has 294, this weekend for the No. 3 spot. Amanda Campbell holds the program record with 346, while Julie Stringer has 314.

Fellow senior guard Katie Hart is 10th in the country in steals at 2.9, and also is No. 18 in assists per game at just less than five a game. Kim Preston is 13th in assist/turnover ratio, while senior post Mandy Troutt is 12th in offensive rebounds per game at 4.0 and is 17th in field goal percentage.

Troutt leads the team with a 14.5 points per game average and also is at 8.0 rebounds per game. Breianna Gaines is at 11.1 points, while Fulbright is at 10.6 points and Sadie Short is at 10.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest. 

Frontier Conference standings – Lewis-Clark State 1-0, 12-3; Montana Tech 1-0, 7-7; Carroll 1-1, 12-2; Montana State-Northern 1-1, 11-5; Great Falls 1-1, 8-8; Rocky Mountain 1-1, 8-10; Westminster 0-1, 13-4; Montana Western 0-1, 11-4. 

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Warriors are out to carry over their recent string of success into the opening home weekend of conference play by taking on the University of Great Falls and surprising Montana State University-Northern.

Great Falls brings a 0-2 conference mark and a 4-8 overall record to the Activity Center. The Argonauts were just one of two Frontier Conference teams (Montana Tech being the other) that didn’t have a winning record in nonconference play this season.

MSU-Northern is the only conference team to post a 2-0 record after the opening weekend. Among its victories was a surprising two-point upset win of No. 23-ranked Carroll College. MSU-Northern stands 12-4 overall, while LCSC is 10-5 and riding a four-game win streak.

Warrior coach Tim Walker said during his preview of the conference race that the league race is so balanced this year that anyone can win on any given night. He said he knows the Warriors have the proverbial bull’s eye on their backs by being the defending conference champions, but added he welcomes that status and the team should be prepared to play each night it steps onto the court.

The Warriors started conference play off with a huge win, upending No. 12-ranked Westminster 85-84 in overtime on the road in Salt Lake City. LCSC and Westminster were picked as the co-favorites to win the conference title in a preseason vote of the league coaches.

After dealing with adversity for most of the season, the Warriors are nearly at full strength. Casey Riley, a 6-foot-7 post, has been out most of the season with an injury, but recently began working out with the team. He could be available to play this weekend.

LCSC ranks in the NAIA’s Top 20 in nine team categories, including second in turnover margin at 9.5. LCSC also is fourth in steals per game at 13.6, and stands seventh in field goal percentage at 51.4 percent.

The Warriors are 10th in free throw percentage at 72.6 percent, and they are outscoring opponents by an average of 17.3 points per game, which is No. 12 in the country. The team also is No. 14 in assist/turnover ratio, No. 15 in scoring at 86.4 points per game, and is 19th in both assists per game (16.5) and 3-point shooting percentage (39.4 percent).

Mike Gordy, a 6-foot-5 senior forward who was a second-team All America selection last year, is again having a solid season. He’s second in the country in field goal percentage at 64.8 percent and fifth in scoring at 22.2 points per game. Sophomore guard J.R. Gordon is second in the NAIA in steals at 3.3 per game, and also is No. 24 in assist/turnover ratio. Teammate Brian Duckworth, a junior guard, is No. 12 in steals per game at 2.7 and also is No. 20 in 3-point shooting percentage at 48.8 percent.

Duckworth is averaging 11 points per game, while Riley was averaging 10 points in the six games prior to his injury. 

Frontier Conference standings – Montana State-Northern, 2-0 in conference, 12-4 overall; Lewis-Clark State 1-0, 10-5; Montana Tech 1-0, 5-10; Carroll 1-1, 13-4; Rocky Mountain 1-1, 13-4; Westminster 0-1, 10-3; Montana Western 0-1, 7-8; Great Falls 0-2, 4-8.