TACOMA, WA – The Lower Columbia Red Devils relied on a balanced offensive effort and a stifling defense to secure a hard-fought 66-57 road victory over Tacoma on Wednesday night at the Tacoma Community College gymnasium.
The Devils (13-4 / 3-2) controlled the paint and the glass, out-rebounding Tacoma 34-23 and outscoring the hosts 40-26 inside the key. The win was fueled by four Red Devils scoring in double figures and a double-double performance from Kenyan Jackman-Thomas.
Lower Columbia set the tone early, taking a 30-21 lead into halftime behind a defensive effort that held Tacoma to just 29% shooting in the opening period. The Devils' offense found its rhythm in the second half, shooting 46.4% from the field to maintain their advantage.
LCC built their largest lead of the game at 16 points with 10:16 remaining in the second half. Although Tacoma made a late push to cut the deficit to single digits, the Red Devils' defense held firm, never allowing the lead to change hands after the break.
Key Performers
James Grose and Javares Reid co-led the scoring for Lower Columbia, dropping 13 points apiece. Grose was efficient in his 36 minutes, shooting 5-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-2 from three-point range, while dishing out a team-high four assists. Reid added five rebounds and was aggressive attacking the rim, earning 10 trips to the free-throw line.
Noah Schow provided a spark with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting and grabbed four rebounds.
The anchor in the middle was Jackman-Thomas, who recorded a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. His presence on the glass was a major factor in limiting Tacoma to just 7 offensive rebounds.
By The Numbers
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Field Goal %: LCC 45.6% (26-57) vs. Tacoma 37.7% (20-53).
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Rebounds: LCC 34, Tacoma 23.
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Points in the Paint: LCC 40, Tacoma 26.
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Bench Scoring: The starters carried the load, but Chance White provided key minutes off the bench with 9 points, including a three-pointer.
Up Next: The Red Devils look to keep the momentum rolling when they travel to Des Moines, WA this weekend. Lower Columbia will face the Highline Thunderbirds on Saturday, January 24. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 pm.
