ASHLAND, Ore. – A strong first half had LC State Men’s Basketball neck-and-neck with Southern Oregon on Friday, but the Raiders exploded for 52 points in the second half to defeat the Warriors 84-50.
LC State falls to 12-13 overall and 9-10 in Cascade Conference play.
“I thought we were great in the first half,” Head Coach Austin Johnson said. “I loved our spirit. The second half was a different story as SOU was by far the tougher and more connected team. We’ll need to put this behind us in a hurry and be ready to go against a physical and very well-rested OIT team tomorrow.”
John Lustig got LC State on the board with a 3 at 16:53 to cut the deficit to 5-3, and Grayson Hunt scored to make it 9-5 two minutes later. Oreon Courtney and Davian Brown kept the Warriors within five, 17-12, midway through the half.
The deficit was cut to three, 17-14, on a layup by Silas Bennion at 7:47, and free throws by Hunt had the score at 19-16 with 6:19 to play in the half. Bennion brought LC within one before a rash of 3-pointers by both teams made it a 25-21 SOU lead by 4:02.
Lustig made it a two-point game once again with a layup with three minutes left in the half, and a 3 by Bennion kept the Warriors within a possession a minute later. Lustig put LC State in front with a triple as the clock ticked under a minute, but SOU answered to regain the lead in the final 30 seconds. The Raiders led 32-31 at the break.
Southern Oregon took off in the second half and outscored LC State 52-19. The Raiders shot an impressive .588 from the field in the last 20 minutes en route to the 84-50 final score.
Lustig led LC State with 14 points including a 4-for-9 night from 3-point range. Hunt grabbed a career-high eight rebounds.
