Titans bring it together to beat SWOCC in second half

Team still competing for third place in region. Forwards Warner and Lindsey excell.

Warren Hollinshead

Media Credit: Eugene Johnson Kyle Warner goes for a layup against SWOCC Feb. 16. The sophomore forward had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

The Titans hung on in a nail biter of a win to defeat the Southwestern Oregon Lakers 83-78 Feb. 16 in Titan Coliseum. With the win, the Titans hold onto a third place spot in the southern region and keep playoff hopes very much alive.

Sloppy basketball plagued the Titans in the first half and was definitely not what head coach Bruce Chavka wanted to see out of his team.

Giving the ball away 10 times in the first half alone was enough to get him riled up about the men's performance.

"They were pretty darn sluggish so we gotta get that down," Chavka said.

Turnovers were not the only problem in the first half. Another lingering problem was the poor shooting. In the first half the Titans only managed to nail 38 percent from the floor and a mere 28 percent from beyond the arc.

Even with these mistakes the game was tied 37-37 at the break, giving the men a chance in the second half.

The second half was another story. Even though they shot the ball better than in the first, the game still came down to a final minute foul frenzy to try and even the score. LCC outlasted SWOCC as freshman guard Daniel Ketchum sank the final free throw to guarantee the win.

Sophomore forward Kyle Warner and freshman forward Nick Lindsey both had double-doubles for the team.

Rebounds won the game for the Titans. The team out-rebounded SWOCC 58-36, proving dominance under the rim.

Different ailments kept key players off the court last week, which may have been what kept the Titans from claiming victory in Portland and at home against Mt. Hood.

"Last week everybody was sick. Now we're healthy," Warner said. "People stepped up off the bench."

With Lindsey accounting for 20 points and 12 rebounds off the bench, his night was needed for the win.

The win was the Titans' third consecutive victory over SWOCC this season.

It finished a single season sweep of SWOCC for LCC.

The Titans travel to Roseburg Feb. 19 to take on Umpqua.

The game will be broadcast on Lane Titan radio at https://bit.ly/fa5Ul6. Tip-off is at 6 p.m.