LEWISTON, Idaho – Lewis-Clark State College's men's basketball team improved to 4-0 on the season with an 80-63 victory over Maine-Fort Kent Friday night at the LC Activity Center. It was a victory, coach Brandon Rinta said, where he saw plenty of positives but also plenty of room for growth.
 
"I thought that was a great defensive effort from our guys," said Rinta after the Warriors held UMFK to 38 percent from the field (27-71), which includes 11 percent from 3-point range. "It's good to know early on in the season that we can win a game with our defense. I thought in the second half, there were some great defensive possessions."
 
Likely because Rinta opted for possessions of zone defense that disrupted the Bengals' offense.
 
"With a team like that, with how aggressive they are offensively, when you throw a zone on they, it slowed them down," he said. "It got them off balance a little bit."
 
The change in tone enabled the Warriors to finally pull away from a back-and-forth, tight game to one where the Bengals were put in catch-up mode.
 
Another key, Rinta said, was the play of the Warriors' inside men – Race Martin, Jeremy Franklin and Darius Alexander. Together, they combined for 53 points and 17 rebounds.
 
"Our forwards were really big tonight," Rinta said. "Those guys came up big."
 
Off the bench, Damek Mitchell also impressed.
 
"It's his energy," Rinta said of Mitchell, who finished with 14 points and three rebounds. "He makes energetic plays that ignite your team."
 
The Warriors are on the road for the first time this season with a Sunday afternoon against the University of Idaho at 4 p.m.