Lopes defeat Plainsmen on the road
LCC defeated Northeastern Junior College in their first game back from a three-week winter break. LCC Men's Basketball overcame a poor-shooting percentage from the foul-line defeating the Plainsmen in South-Sub Region play 87-81 on the road.
The victory improves the NJCAA 13th ranked Lopes' record to 16-1 overall and 4-0 in Region IX standings.
The Lopes shot 53.2 percent from the field and 44.4 from behind arc but struggled from the foul-line shooting 61.9 until hitting some important free throws toward the end to seal the win. The Plainsmen shot 41.5 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from the three-point line and 87.5 percent from the foul-line.
The Lopes outscored NJC in bench points (41-29) and in the paint (44-34), while winning the battle in rebounding (37-28) and second chance points (12-6).
"It is always very tough to play the first game after being off for about three weeks. It is even harder to play at Northeastern JC, who was the second place team behind us in Region IX standings. But our guys fought thru the adversity and won the game today, 87-81. I am proud of the effort and togetherness that our team showed today," said LCC head coach Sercan Fenerci.
Freshman Richard Caldwell led the Lopes in scoring with 17 points, including three three-point baskets, and six assists. Wayne Stewart added 13 points and pulled down six rebounds next to his four blocks. Andre Hardy chipped in with 13 points and three rebounds. Tugay Balyan added ten points and four rebounds, while sophomore Isaiah Martin led the Lopes in shot blocking with five.
LCC is on the road this coming weekend for a pair of South-Sub Region games. The Lopes will visit Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington on Friday, January 13. Tip-off is set for 7:00pm. Then on Saturday, January 14, the Lopes teams will travel to Western Nebraska Community College in Scottsbluff. The game will start at 4:00pm.
For score updates and more information about Lopes, follow them on Twitter: @LopesBasketball.