LCSC states case for Frontier supremacy with title - Mar 11, 2015

After sharing the regular-season crown with Montana Western, the postseason objective for the Lewis-Clark State men's basketball team could not have been more clear-cut.

"We wanted to be the only team that could say we were Frontier Conference champions this year," LCSC associate head coach Austin Johnson said.

The Warriors certainly made a compelling case Tuesday night. They drilled 13 shots from behind the arc and whitewashed Montana Western 82-55 in the Frontier Conference Tournament title game.

The win, coming in front of more than 1,023 rowdy fans in the Activity Center, gave the 20th-ranked Warriors (25-7) their first FC Tournament championship since 2008. It also secured an automatic berth to the national tournament.

"It makes me emotional because I love our guys so much," Johnson said. "The travel, the long nights, the tough road trips - to see them have this as a reward, it's special."

LC State and 15th-ranked Montana Western waged a hotly contested battle in the regular-season finale just 11 days ago, which the Warriors won by seven to earn a share of the conference title. But it didn't take long for Tuesday's affair to turn one-sided.

And the tone-setting spark came from the most unlikely of sources. Trea Thomas (5'10''-PG-94), a freshman point guard who shoots just 38 percent from long range, made three treys in the first six minutes of the game. His deft stroke not only fired up his teammates, but also forced the Bulldogs to alter their defensive approach.

"For Trea to step up and hit those early 3s, you knew it could be a special night," Johnson said. "I couldn't be happier for him because he's in the gym everyday working on his shot. To see his work rewarded in front of all these people in the biggest game of his life - that's a special moment."

Thomas' final 3-pointer, coming with 14:06 remaining in the first half, gave LCSC an 18-7 lead. The Warriors' advantage only grew from there, reaching as much as 27 late in the opening half.

"We wanted to come out and leave it all on the court," said Thomas, who finished with nine points, six assists and three steals. "To win it at home the way we did, that was unbelievable. We came out and just played basketball and did what we were supposed to do."

That included holding the Bulldogs (22-9) nearly 30 points below their season average. The visitors from Dillon, Mont., shot just 39 percent overall and only 27 percent from the 3-point line.

The Warriors limited Dexter Williams (6'4''-F), the Frontier Conference Player of the Year, to just 10 points and five rebounds. The Bulldog forward had been a matchup nightmare for LCSC, tallying a combined 44 points and 22 rebounds in the previous two meetings.

"The defensive energy, the communication in our zone - we played at a very high level," Johnson said. "We played at a national-tournament level defensively."

They also had the shooting to match. The Warriors shot 48 percent overall and made half of their 26 attempts from behind the arc. In addition to Thomas, Brady Bagby (6'3''-G-93) and Gavin Kauffman (6'4''-G) also made three 3-pointers while Jon Humphrie (6'2''-G) came off the bench to hit four treys.

Bagby led all scorers with 15 points while Kauffman, Humphrie and Jamaal Thomas (6'7''-F) each chipped in 14. Those four seniors scored every LCSC point in the second half.

"This means everything to them," Thomas said. "I'm glad I got to help the seniors win this championship. It's an honor."

The Warriors, who have won eight of their last nine games, will learn their seed and matchup for the national tournament when the NAIA releases the bracket on Wednesday. The tournament starts March 18 in Kansas City, Mo.

"I can't say we're peaking because you want to be doing that at nationals," Thomas said. "But this game showed everyone what we're capable of."

Courtesy of Frontier Conference

Frontier Conference Tournament Final: Lewis-Clark - Montana Western 82-55
Frontier Conference Tournament Semifinals:
Lewis-Clark - MSU Northwestern 65-51
Montana Western - Rocky Mountain 96-80