OLYMPIA –
Jordan Dam scored 24 points and
Kortney Darby added 23 but it wasn't enough for the Evergreen Geoducks, who dropped a 111-93 non-conference men's basketball decision Wednesday afternoon to visiting Lewis-Clark State College in CRC Gymnasium.
The Warriors improved their record to 9-1 while the Geoducks fell to 2-3 for the season.
Dam was 10-for-17 from the field, including a pair of three-point baskets, while Darby made eight field goals and was 6-for-7 from the charity stripe.
Frankie Johnson and
Alix Hernandez both scored 14 points for Evergreen. Hernandez led his team with seven rebounds, while Johnson led all players with six assists.
Brady Bagby, LCSC's leading scorer, scored 22 of his team-high 24 points in the second half. All five of the Warriors' starters scored in double figures and two others also hit double digits in the victory. Erick Diouf was 8-for-9 from the field on his way to 17 points, Jamaal Thomas was 5-for-5 from the field for 12 points, while Nick Emerson scored 11 and Trea Thomas 10 for the visitors.
Jacob Wiley came off the bench to score 21 point, hitting all nine of his field goal attempts and all three of his free throws, and Gavin Kauffman added 10 off of the bench for LCSC.
About halfway through the first half the Geoducks pulled within one point at 26-25 on a jumper by Hernandez, but the Warriors gradually pulled away before settling for a 49-34 lead at the half. They led 61-43 four minutes into the second half when Evergreen went on a 9-3 run to pull within 12 points at 64-52, but LCSC responded with 10 unanswered points to break it open.
The Warriors had a huge size advantage and used that to pound the Geoducks in the paint. LCSC finished the game shooting 73 percent (44-for-60) from the field, and it was impressive from outside as well with 48 percent (11-for-23) accuracy. They also took a 35-26 edge in rebounding, led by Nick Emerson with eight. Bagby led his team with five assists.
Evergreen returns to action at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, when it opens Cascade Collegiate Conference play against Eastern Oregon in La Grande.