LEWISTON, Idaho – The 20
th-ranked Warriors (14-5, 7-4) bounced back well on Saturday to earn a 93-82 victory over the visiting Bushnell Beacons. LC had big contributions from
Kevin Baker and
Khalil Stevenson, as well as strong performances by
Nathan Fromm and
Colton Spencer off the bench, to help secure the win in Cascade Conference play.
"Very proud of our guys for finding a way to grind out a win," Head Coach
Austin Johnson said. "We were up and down for a stretch but kept our composure late and made free throws. Colton (Spencer) had a big weekend for us, and it was good to see Nathan (Fromm) get into a rhythm tonight. We'll need to be a lot better in the second half of league play, but I'm excited to see how our guys keep processing together."
The first few minutes of the contest were a back-and-forth battle until
Sam Stockton sparked a 15-point run, fueled by contributions by Stevenson,
Al Sommerfield, Baker,
Brennen Newsom and
Oreon Courtney. The span gave LC a 22-8 advantage by the 12:05 mark, and another run with baskets by
Teagen Hoard and Baker made it 29-11 midway through.
Sommerfield gave the Warriors their largest lead of the contest with a 3-pointer at 8:38 to grow the advantage to 19. The Beacons picked up momentum and were within seven by the end of the half, 43-36.
After Bushnell opened the second half with a 3, Courtney, Stevenson and Sommerfield combined for six straight points to push the lead back to 10, 49-39, two minutes in. The margin was cut to one point by 6:08, but three points from Baker and a triple by Fromm put the Warriors back in the driver's seat.
Fromm added six points in the final minute, with four free throws, and Stockton drained a pair of foul shots to end the game with LC in front 93-82.
Baker and Fromm each scored 19 points to lead LC State, and Stevenson added 16. Spencer scored 11 on three 3-pointers, and Sommerfield led the defense with a career-high nine rebounds. Stockton dished out a team-best six assists and had three steals.
As a team, the Warriors shot 50 percent from the floor and 85.7 percent from the free throw line (18-for-21).
Bushnell's Isaac Girley led the game with 23 points, Stevie Schlabach had 19, and Kaden San grabbed five rebounds.
The Warriors hit the road next weekend to take on Evergreen State on Jan. 21 and Northwest on Jan. 22.
Stay up to date with all things Warrior Athletics at lcwarriors.com or on social media @LCWarriors.
