Box Score DILLON, Mont. – Trea Thomas's bucket with eight seconds left in the second half forced overtime and the Warriors outscored the Bulldogs 14-8 in the extra frame to upset Montana Western 101-95 to advance to the Frontier Conference Championship game Tuesday.
"I know it is easy to say when you win, but that was a great game between two good teams," Head Coach
Brandon Rinta said. "Two of our worst games of the season have been in that gym and for these guys to find a way to win tonight speaks to their fight."
The Warriors will take on No. 4 Carroll College on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. Pacific Time for the championship.
Trailing by five with 23 seconds left in the second half, the Warriors got a big 3-pointer from Anthony Cullen brought the deficit down to two. LCSC was able to force a turnover on the inbound play after the bucket and keep time on the clock for a potential tying shot.
Doug McDaniel made that attempt with 11 seconds left but was blocked out of bounds, staying Warriors ball. Thomas scored three seconds later to force the OT and the Bulldogs' last second heave was off the mark, as they went into the extra five-minute period.
"Trea was battling foul trouble all night," Coach Rinta said. "But he hit some big shots late in the game but none was bigger than layup to send it to OT."
In OT, Sullen was at it again as his trey gave the Warriors a 3-point lead. The Bulldogs would answer, however, with four straight points and regained the lead.
"Sullen and
Derrick White had a huge impact off the bench. Anthony hit some big shots and Derrick made some key plays in the second half," Coach Rinta said.
McDaniel's jumper gave the Warriors the lead for good with 1:54 remaining in OT. Their lead was as big as eight points with 20 seconds left.
"Doug was feeling it tonight," Rinta said. "He came up with big shot after big shot."
McDaniel led the team with 29 points on 12-15 shooting. Sullen was next with 22.
Zavon Jackson (18) and Thomas (11) capped all double-digit scoring for LCSC. Zavon Jackson had a monster game on the boards with 21 rebounds, 1 shy of tying the school record set back in the 60s and 70s.
Tuesday will mark the fourth time this season the Warriors will play Carroll. The Saints have defeated the Warriors all three times, but the total margin of defeat is a combined seven points.
Coach Rinta added about the matchup with Carroll, "We've had three battles with Carroll and I expect this to be the same."
