LEWISTON, Idaho – Seniors Trystan Bradley and Damek Mitchell hit milestone marks and combined for 45 points to help the Lewis-Clark State College Men’s Basketball team defeat Yellowstone Christian 79-67 at the LC State Activity Center on Friday night.
Bradley, a 6-foot-8 post from Lewiston, became the 16
th player in program history to score 1,000 career points. He finished with a game-high 23 points and now has 1,002 points in his four-year career.
Mitchell entered the game tied with Brian Meneely with 174 made 3-pointers. He moved into the top spot early in the game when his long-range jumper put the Warriors ahead 9-5. He finished with three 3-pointers and 22 points.
The win moved the Warriors, ranked fourth in the latest NAIA poll, to 11-1 on the season and it was the team’s third win over the visitors from Billings, Mont. The two teams will play again Saturday at 1 p.m.
Unlike the first two encounters in December that the Warriors dominated (average margin of victory was 39.5 points), Friday’s contest was much closer. LC led only 54-51 with 14:05 left in the second half, but held the Centurions to just seven points over the next 10 minutes to pull away.
“Ton of credit to them with how they come out in the first half,” LC State coach Austin Johnson said of Yellowstone Christian. “They took the fight to us and we didn’t seem super interested in playing, which was unfortunate because of how hard it has been to get games.”
The Warriors led by six twice in the first half, but an 8-2 run by Yellowstone Christian put it ahead 35-31. LC State closed out the first half with a 10-3 run for a 41-38 halftime advantage.
“We just settled for a ton of 3s,” Johnson said of the Warriors going 5-of-20 from the 3-point line in the opening half. “I almost felt like we were trying to get the game to end in the first 10 minutes. Thankfully we found a way to win.”
The Warriors found a way without two of their leading scorers available. Senior forward Travis Yenor will likely miss the rest of the regular season after having surgery on his hand. Jake Albright, also a senior forward, also was out Friday but is expected to play in Saturday’s game.
Without the two forwards, LC had to use a four-guard offense for parts of the evening. And with Yellowstone Christian picking up a couple of players who didn’t make the December trip to Lewiston, the Centurions were able to make it a closer game.
Bradley finished with a double-double as he also had a game-high 10 rebounds. He was 8-of-20 from the field and added two steals.
“He’s an unbelievable basketball player, one of the best basketball players to play at LC State,” Johnson said. “One of the best teammates. Look at his progression. That guy did not make a single 3-point shot his freshman year so look at his evolution and is confidence. He’s a special player. My heart hurts for him and the other seniors who haven’t had the experiences that I think they deserve (because of the COVID-19 pandemic). But Trystan is special.”
Mitchell was 5-of-10 from the field and 9-of-10 at the foul line. He added a game-high six assists and two steals.
“Damek is a winner,” Johnson said. “He didn’t play to his standard that he would expect of himself tonight but he made some big-time clutch plays down the stretch.”
Senior guard Hodges Bailey added 10 points while freshman Oreon Courtney, making his first start, added eight points and eight rebounds.
LC attempted more 3-pointers than 2 points in the game. LC went 8-of-30 beyond the arc and 18-of-27 inside it to finish 26-of-57 overall (45.6 percent).
“Tonight did not meet the standard of LC State but credit goes to Yellowstone,” Johnson said. “And this was good for us. Not every game is going to be a Picasso. But at the end of the day a win is a win. And we’ll take it.”
The Warriors conclude the season series with the Centurions on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Activity Center. The game can be viewed on the Warrior Sports Network using links on lcwarriors.com.