(Aberdeen, WA) – With the West Region championship already in hand, the Lower Columbia men's basketball team ran into a fired up group of Grays Harbor Chokers.
Grays Harbor, sitting in sixth place and already eliminated from playoff contention, defeated the Devils 67-63 on Wednesday March 9
th.
The Grays Harbor team played like it was the NWAC Championship game. When the buzzer sounded, the Harbor fans, mostly Choker baseball players, stormed the court and mobbed their team.
So much for social distancing.
The inspired Chokers took a 35-26 lead at halftime as the Devils got into immediate foul trouble. LCC got within two points when
Keylin Vance hit three free throws with 26 seconds left.
Ky-mani Pollard then got a big steal before he missed a three with 8 seconds to go. A controversial flagrant foul on LCC with 4 seconds left led to two Choker free throws and possession thus ending the game.
Give the Chokers credit. The shot 59 percent from the floor and made 9-10 free throws. They also outrebounded the Devils. David Featherston led the Harbor with 17 points.
Kyle Gruhler had 16 points to lead LCC. Pollard scored 15 and Vance had 13.
The Devils closed out the regular season with a West champion record of 11-3. LCC is 19-6 overall as they wait for the NWAC Selection Show on Sunday to see who their first round opponent is in the championship tournament beginning Thursday March 17
th at Everett CC.
As the #1 seed from the West, the Devils will play a #4 seed from either the North, South or East.
The Selection Show will be Sunday March 13
th at 1:30 pm on the NWAC Sports Network at nwacsports.com
