LRSC suffers second conference loss at the hands of NDSCS

Article by Sam Herder, Devils Lake Journal Sports, published Jan. 12, 2015

In a big Mon-Dak Conference game against the two-time defending regional champions, the Lake Region State College men's basketball team didn't show up to play the way its head coach wanted. 

The Royals (16-5, 1-2) struggled defensively in a 94-78 home loss Wednesday to North Dakota State College of Science (13-6, 2-1). 

"We just didn't guard tonight," Royals head coach Jared Marshall said. "They were the tougher team. They wanted it more than we did and that's all there is to it. We give up 94 points to a good team. A team that's won the last two regional championships."

The game was evenly matched to start. Tom Kubank's 3-pointer gave LRSC a 23-21 lead with nine-and-a-half minutes until halftime. But the Wildcats responded with a 13-0 run and held on to their lead the rest of the way.

LRSC made runs in the second half, including a 5-0 run to start the half and bring the score to 49-47. The Wildcats, though, hit big shot after big shot to keep their cushion. James Batemon III's 38 points led NDSCS as LRSC struggled to get stops.

"We changed up our defense a few times," Marshall said. "Honestly, I was desperate to try and find something to get us stops. I saw a team that didn't want it. They were 36-for-70 from the field and they had 14 offensive rebounds. That's more possessions they were getting."

AJ Nywesh started to heat up for the Royals, finishing the game with 25 points and six assists. His 3-pointers kept LRSC within striking distance. Two Dawson Peterson free throws made it an 83-74 deficit with three minutes to play.

But the Wildcats couldn't be stopped offensively, responding with a 9-0 run to seal the game.

NDSCS went to its bench often with 10 players logging minutes. The Royals, meanwhile, only had seven players hit the court.

"I don't think it was tired legs, I think it was a lack of us being locked in and really just wanting it more than they did," Marshall said.

Despite going down with an apparent ankle injury in the second half, Peterson returned and finished with 19 points. Ryan Clark notched another double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Kubank was also in double figures with 12 points.

The Royals, 1-2 in their last three games, have a week to regroup when they take on United Tribes Technical College next Wednesday in another conference game.

"We're going to watch film and see what's the best course of action defensively for us moving forward," Marshall said. "Honestly, I think it's a lot of self-reflection. I think our intensity has to be better in practice. We can't just think we're going to come out and win and be better than people."