LEWISTON, Idaho – LC State Men's Basketball (13-2, 6-1) had five players score in double-digits to help power the team to a 76-54 victory over Warner Pacific University on Monday night in the P1FCU Activity Center. Silas Bennion put together another standout performance, notching a career-high in rebounds for the second night in a row with 12.
 
The 17^th-ranked Warriors used a strong defensive game to outrebound WPU 55-39 and hold the Knights to a .167 shooting percentage from 3-point range.
 
"Awesome defensive performance from our guys tonight," Head Coach Austin Johnson said. "They were dialed in from the start and we were able to build off that the rest of the way."
 
The Warriors took control out of the gate with a 12-2 run that included triples by Khalil Stevenson and Sam Stockton. Stockton, Oreon Courtney and Nathan Fromm combined for a run of six to grow the lead to 18-6 by 11:19. Bennion and Stevenson both hit 3-pointers in the final minute of the half to send LC State into the locker room with a 36-20 advantage.
 
The second half saw a more evenly matched contest with the Warriors outscoring WPU 38-36. A layup by Kai Warren and five straight points by Stevenson broke up the back-and-forth to give LC its largest lead of the game at 23 points, 63-49, by the 6:50 mark.
 
Foul shots by Fromm and Will Abram kept the difference at 20 before Colton Spencer scored the final eight LC State points of the contest to push the score to 74-56.
 
The Warriors were led defensively by Bennion's career-best 12 rebounds. He matched a career-high, set on Saturday, with nine assists and had three steals. Warren had a strong game with a career-best nine rebounds and a block.
 
Colton Spencer led the team with a career-high 14 points including four 3-pointers. Stevenson added 13 and Courtney scored 12 with three blocks and two steals. Stockton (11) and Fromm (10) also scored in double-digits.
 
"We got great step-up performances from guys like Will and Colt which really gave us a boost both offensively and defensively," Johnson explained. "Proud of them for sticking together and having a next-man-up mentality. That will be needed down the stretch."
 
LC State hits the road this weekend for contests at Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon. OIT is the only CCC team that has not lost a conference matchup this season. The Warriors open the weekend in Klamath Falls, Ore., against OIT on Friday before heading to SOU on Saturday. Links to coverage can be found at lcwarriors.com.
 
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