CENTRALIA, WA – In a game that tested endurance and will, the Lower Columbia College men's basketball team refused to fold, battling back from a halftime deficit to defeat the Centralia Trailblazers 114-109 in double overtime on Wednesday night.
The victory moves the Red Devils to 10-2 on the season, showcasing the team's grit in a marathon contest that saw three LCC starters play the full 50 minutes.
Lower Columbia struggled early, heading into the locker room at halftime trailing 44-32 after shooting just 33% from the field in the opening period. However, the Red Devils offense exploded in the second half, pouring in 58 points on sizzling 68.8% shooting to erase the deficit and force extra time.
Leading the charge was James Grose, who played every second of the contest and finished with a team-high 29 points, including five three-pointers. He also added six rebounds and five assists in a complete performance.
He was joined in the "50-Minute Club" by Noah Schow and Shane Douma-Sanchez, who were instrumental in the victory. Schow tallied 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Douma-Sanchez filled the stat sheet with 16 points, seven boards, and a team-high six assists.
The game remained deadlocked after the first overtime period, with both squads scoring 8 points to keep the score tied at 98-98. In the second overtime, Lower Columbia finally pulled away, outscoring the Trailblazers 16-11.
Dalton Stevens came up huge off the bench in the deciding period. Stevens finished with 12 points and 5 rebounds, but his most critical contributions came at the free-throw line in the final seconds of double overtime to ice the game. K Jackman-Thomas also provided a spark off the bench with 10 points and 8 rebounds, giving the Devils a crucial edge on the glass.
Skyler Schmidt battled through foul trouble to contribute 14 points and 8 rebounds before fouling out.
As a team, the Red Devils found their rhythm from deep, draining 17 three-pointers on 36.2% shooting. They also showed poise at the charity stripe, converting 15 of 19 free throws (78.9%) compared to Centralia's 18 of 24.
Centralia (9-4) was led by Clay Morgan, who scored a game-high 31 points.
The Red Devils showed remarkable resilience to secure their 10th win of the season, proving they can win ugly, win pretty, or win long.
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