LEWISTON, Idaho – The Warrior Men's Basketball team wrapped up the 2025 Clearwater River Casino & Lodge Classic with a 2-0 record after an 86-68 victory over Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) on Saturday. LC State shot an impressive 56.7% from the field in the win and held a high-scoring ERAU team to more than 20 points below its season average.
The Warriors improve to a 4-2 record overall ahead of a long road trip. LC State will not play in the P1FCU Activity Center again until Jan. 2, 2026.
"Good way to finish off the weekend for the guys," coach Austin Johnson said. "(Dylan) Skaife and Jamare' (Childs) gave us a boost from 3 in the first half and our three bigs did a great job inside and out. Embry-Riddle is a tough team to guard but for the most part I was pleased with how we approached things. What is exciting is that I really believe this group can keep getting better so we'll keep working and trying to improve as a team."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Jamare' Childs started the game with a 3-pointer and points from Dylan Skaife and Josh Salguero gave the Warriors a slim 7-4 lead at 17:06. Salguero and John Lustig went back-to-back to help LC State keep pace with ERAU before baskets by Childs and Dallon Morgan had the advantage at 18-10 by 13:55.
Skaife and Brandon Suber combined for an eight-point run to grow the margin to 26-12 midway through the half, and Skaife hit his third 3-pointer of the half at 9:13 to make it 29-14. The teams traded baskets for remainder of the half before a layup by Grayson Hunt sent LC State into the locker room with a 48-37 lead.
ERAU opened the second half with a seven-point run and the Warriors answered with five points from Peyton Nordland and Hunt. A foul shot by Lustig started a seven-point rally with contributions from Childs and Nordland for a 62-49 advantage at 13:42, and a pair of 3-pointers by Morgan made it 70-56 three minutes later.
Hunt, Lustig, Suber, Skaife and Nordland each scored down the stretch and Trevor Manning netted a 3 at 2:40 to put the game away with an 84-65 cushion. Hunt drained two free throws in the final 30 seconds to close out the 86-68 win.
STAT RECAP
Four Warriors scored in double figures, led by Lustig's 15 points. Skaife added 13 with a 3-for-6 night from 3-point range and Morgan and Hunt each tallied 12 points. Lustig and Hunt both grabbed six boards to lead the contest. Suber led the game with five assists to go with his four rebounds.
LC State shot 56.7% from the field (34-for-60) and grabbed 34 rebounds. The Warriors committed just six turnovers and scored 19 points off ERAU's nine turnovers.
UP NEXT
LC State hits the road for a long road trip starting next weekend. The Warriors will be in Caldwell for College of Idaho's Taco Bell Shoot Out and will face Pacific Union (Calif.) and Northern New Mexico.
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