AUBURN, WA – The Lower Columbia College men's basketball team mounted a furious second-half comeback but ultimately fell 86-79 to the Green River Gators on Saturday afternoon at Green River College.
Despite outshooting the Gators from the field, the Red Devils (16-5, 6-3) couldn't overcome Green River's perimeter attack in a matchup between two of the NWAC's top teams.
Lower Columbia found themselves trailing 45-36 at halftime after the Gators closed the opening period on a run. The deficit grew to as many as 14 points early in the second half, with Green River leading 50-36. Refusing to go away, the Red Devils chipped away at the lead, using a high-efficiency offense that shot 56.3% in the second half.
LCC cut the lead to a single point at 70-69 following a Chance White layup with 7:42 remaining, and remained within striking distance at 79-77 with just 1:35 left on the clock. However, the Gators held on down the stretch, converting free throws to seal the victory.
Noah Schow led the offensive charge for Lower Columbia, pouring in a team-high 21 points on efficient 8-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-5 from deep.
Inside, Skyler Schmidt delivered a massive double-double performance. The forward dominated the glass with a game-high 16 rebounds and scored 16 points, while also anchoring the defense with 4 blocked shots.
Chance White orchestrated the offense with a team-high 5 assists and added 15 points and 2 steals. Kenyan Jackman-Thomas rounded out the double-digit scorers for the Devils with 12 points and 5 rebounds.
While Lower Columbia shot a sizzling 53.1% from the floor compared to Green River's 49.3%, the difference came from beyond the arc. The Gators connected on 11 three-pointers (44%), while the Red Devils were held to 6-of-17 (35.3%) from deep.
Up Next
The Red Devils will look to bounce back when they return to their home court on Wednesday, February 11 vs the Pierce Raiders. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 PM.
Red Devil Stat Leaders
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Noah Schow: 21 PTS, 3 REB, 1 STL (8-13 FG, 3-5 3PT)
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Skyler Schmidt: 16 PTS, 16 REB, 4 BLK, 2 AST
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Chance White: 15 PTS, 5 AST, 2 STL
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K Jackman-Thomas: 12 PTS, 5 REB
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Shane Douma-Sanchez: 7 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST
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Cole Chester: 6 PTS (2-4 3PT)
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Parker Eiswald: 2 PTS
Team Stat Comparison
| Category | Lower Columbia (Red Devils) | Green River (Gators) |
| Field Goals |
34-64 (53.1%) |
33-67 (49.3%) |
| 3-Point FG |
6-17 (35.3%) |
11-25 (44.0%) |
| Free Throws |
5-7 (71.4%) |
9-15 (60.0%) |
| Rebounds |
32 |
34 |
| Assists |
14 |
18 |
| Turnovers |
12 |
10 |
| Points in Paint |
56 |
38 |
| Bench Points |
8 |
14 |