LEWISTON, Idaho — Dickinson State saw its comeback bid fall short Friday night, as the Blue Hawks dropped a 78-67 decision to Lewis-Clark State at the P1FCU Activity Center.
Griffyn Doughty led the way for the Blue Hawks (2-3), scoring a game-high 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. Quincy Linton added 13 points and three steals, while Cordell Stinson contributed 10 points and four rebounds.
Dickinson State held a brief 20-19 lead with 11:35 remaining in the first half after a three-pointer by Linton, but Lewis-Clark State responded quickly and carried a 40-36 lead into halftime. The Warriors (3-2) maintained control the rest of the way, using a strong rebounding advantage and efficient free throw shooting to close out the game.
"I'm really proud of the way our guys battled tonight," head coach Derek Selvig said. "We have some injuries and some guys out right now and guys are stepping up and contributing. We have to figure out how to snag rebounds when we are a little undersized but if we keep playing as hard as we did tonight we will get it figured out."
The Blue Hawks were outrebounded 40-25, including 11 offensive boards for the Warriors, which led to 20 second-chance points. DSU shot 45.8 percent from the field and a solid 40 percent from three, but converted just 5-of-11 attempts from the free throw line.
Isaiah Vargas added six points and a team-best six rebounds before fouling out in the second half. Michael Nance and DC Stewart combined for 11 points off the bench, and DSU's reserves chipped in 14 total.
Lewis-Clark State was paced by John Lustig's 16 points and 14 more from Peyton Nordland. Dallon Morgan and Brandon Suber added 14 and 13, respectively, off the bench, as the Warriors posted 35 bench points and outscored Dickinson State 36-28 in the paint.
The Blue Hawks forced 13 turnovers and recorded nine steals, with Linton and Stinson combining for five. Despite their defensive efforts, DSU was unable to overcome its rebounding gap and second-half shooting by the home team.
