| LEWISTON, Idaho – A total team effort with five Warriors in double-digits helped LC State get past a strong-willed Eastern Oregon team in the quarterfinal round of the Cascade Conference Men’s Basketball Championship, presented by U.S. Bank, on Wednesday. LC State led from start to finish thanks to strong defense and clutch plays.
Sam Stockton, Jaedon Bradley and Alton Hamilton each scored 13 points for LC State as the Warriors shot 53.2% from the field. LC won the rebound battle 33-25.
“Big win for our guys,” Head Coach Austin Johnson said. “EOU really controlled the second half but we built enough of a lead early and did enough down the stretch to come out with a big postseason win. Our defense was great and really carried us as we struggled mightily on the offensive side of the ball. Proud of these guys for gutting it out without our best stuff. We’ll need to be way better on Saturday but I’m excited to keep coaching these guys.”
LC State advances to the CCC semifinal on Saturday and will host No. 17 Oregon Tech at 7:30 p.m. in the P1FCU Activity Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Back-to-back baskets by Davian Brown and Bradley had LC up 6-2 before Bradley and Stockton made it 10-4. A triple by Stockton had the advantage at 16-8 five minutes into the half.
A dunk by Anthony Peoples Jr. sparked a run of six points, aided by buckets from John Lustig and Quentin Raynor, for a 25-13 lead at 10:09. Stockton and Gorden Boykens each knocked down 3s and a three-point play by Hamilton had the lead at 34-23 with 5:08 to play in the half.
The two teams went basket-for-basket as tallies by Peoples Jr., Lustig and Stockton kept the difference in double-digits, 40-29, at the break.
A layup by Hamilton and 3-pointer by Bradley stretched the lead to 14 points, 45-31, in the first minute of the second half. Free throws by Hamilton and Brown had the Warriors ahead 51-40 by 13:04 before EOU began to chip away at the lead. The Mountaineers pulled within one, 56-55, at 6:46.
Brown hit a triple to keep the lead with LC State but foul shots had Eastern Oregon within one again at 5:13. Free throws by Hamilton and a triple by Bradley pushed the lead back out to five points with 2:53 to play, and Lustig hit a clutch 3-pointer in the final minute for a 73-68 lead.
Bradley closed out the scoring with a free throw after grabbing a rebound off a block by Raynor.
Stockton, Bradley and Hamilton led LC State with 13 points each. Stockton was 5-for-6 from the field and Hamilton went 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Lustig added 12 points, also on 5-for-6 shooting, and Brown scored 11 points.
Hamilton led the defense with nine boards, Stockton dealt four assists and Brown had three steals.
The Warriors made 16 of their 18 foul shots (88.9%) and shot 53.2% from the floor. Each LC State player scored in the first half.
UP NEXT
The Warriors host third-seeded Oregon Tech on Saturday in the P1FCU Activity Center.
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