Box Score DILLON, Mont. – A rough start turned into a rough night for the Lewis-Clark State College men's basketball team.
Falling in a big hole early, the Warriors could never climb out and fell to No. 11-ranked Montana Western 84-66 in Frontier Conference play on Saturday. The loss dropped LCSC to 12-5 overall and 2-3 in league, while Western improves to 4-0 and 14-2.
LCSC scored only eight points through the first 11:26 of the contest and found itself in a 27-8 hole at the midway point of the first half. Western scored the game's first six points, but LCSC cut it to 6-5 on a bucket at the 16:45 mark.
Unfortunately for LCSC, it managed only three points over the next eight minutes as the Bulldogs went on a 21-3 run. Western scored 10 straight to start the run, and after a basket and free throw by LCSC's Connor DeSaulniers, Western ran off eight straight for its 19-point lead.
LCSC did cut the margin to 13 in the first half, but trailed 44-28 at halftime.
Western used a 13-0 run to start the second half for its biggest lead of the contest at 57-28. LCSC did cut the margin to 15 but could not get closer the rest of the way.
"Not much went right tonight for us," LCSC coach
Brandon Rinta said. "We had open shot after open shot in the first half, and couldn't connect."
LCSC made 10-of-33 field goal attempts in the first half for 33 percent accuracy.
Having to play catch up for most of the game, the Warriors attempted 40 3-pointers in the game, their third highest total of the team. LCSC made 14 for 35 percent accuracy. Overall, LCSC was 23-of-64 for 35.9 percent.
Western was just 5-of-23 from the 3-point line, but 25-of-41 inside the line. The Bulldogs finished 30-of-64 overall for 46.9 percent.
LCSC junior point guard Trae Thomas had a good night. He made six 3-pointers and finished with 20 points, both career highs.
Doug McDaniel added 11 points, while
Zavon Jackson added 10. McDaniel and
Isaiah Omamogho each had five rebounds, but LCSC was outboarded 37-26.
"This team got their first taste of what road trips are like in this conference this weekend," Rinta said. "This one, going to Billings and Dillon, is especially tough. We have to find a way to play better on the road."
The Warriors return home for a conference games on back-to-back nights, which rarely happens. On Friday, LCSC plays host to Montana Tech. On Saturday, Carroll comes to town. Both games will be at 7:30 p.m. at the LCSC Activity Center.
