CALDWELL – Lewis-Clark State Men’s Basketball earned its second win of the season with big performances from Davian Brown and Alton Hamilton on Friday. The Warriors opened the Taco Bell Shootout with a 75-67 victory over Montana Western.
Brown scored a game-high 20 points, while freshman Hamilton had the best game of his young career with 17 points and 16 rebounds.
“Gritty win away from home for our guys,” Head Coach Austin Johnson said. “Alton showed what he is capable of and was an absolute force inside. Davian was efficient and picked his spots.”
The Warriors outrebounded UMW 44-32 with 11 offensive boards. LC State was also successful at the free throw line with 19 foul shots, including an 8-of-9 night by Brown.
“We defended well as a team and made our free throws down the stretch,” Johnson added. “This was a true team win. Now we prepare for a perennial national tournament team in Hope International. It will be a battle.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
John Lustig put the Warriors on the board for an early lead in the opening minute. UMW answered to pull ahead 6-3 before Brown struck for a jumper and free throws to bring the Warriors within one, 8-7, at 16:45. Hamilton put LC in front 10-8 at 15:13 and back-to-back baskets by MaCarhy Morris and Sam Stockton made it 14-11 four minutes later.
The Bulldogs regained the lead at 9:00 and grew the margin to 24-18 by 5:17 before LC State rallied for seven straight points to tie the game at the half. Javon Jones hit a 3 at 1:24 to start the run, Stockton added a layup and Brown made a pair of free throws to knot the score 29-29 at the break.
Montana Western scored the first six points of the second half before Lustig scored to cut the deficit to 35-31 at 18:20. Hamilton hit a jumper after a UMW basket to keep the margin within four a minutes later, and Morris did the same to make the score 39-35 at 16:14.
Hamilton put LC in front with three straight baskets with 14:37 to play, and Lustig and Morris went back-to-back to grow the Warrior advantage to 45-41 at 13:21. Brown stretched the run to six points with a crafty assist from Quentin Raynor to make it 47-41 at 12:43.
A momentary 50-49 lead by UMW was erased by a triple from Gorden Boykins, and a pair of 3s by Brown and layup by Lustig made it 60-53 in favor of the Warriors with 6:34 on the clock. Jones made it a 10-point LC State run with a jumper for a 62-53 advantage at 6:25.
Hamilton continued his outing with a dunk to mark to start the three minutes of the contest before grabbing an offensive rebound that turned into a jumper by Raynor. The Warriors led 68-61 with a minute to play.
Brown, Raynor and Lustig added foul shots to close out the contest 75-67.
Brown led the contest with 20 points. Hamilton was electric with 17 points and 16 rebounds. Jones grabbed four steals and Grayson Hunt blocked two shots.
UP NEXT
The Warriors wrap up the long road swing with a contest against Hope International (Calif.) on Saturday. Tip off at College of Idaho’s Taco Bell Shootout is set for 2 p.m. PT.
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