LEWISTON, ID – The No. 22 LC State Men’s Basketball team earned a share of its first Cascade Conference title since 2021 and will host all of its games in the 2026 Cascade Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank. The Warriors tied for the CCC title with Eastern Oregon but had the tiebreaker to secure the top seed and the conference’s automatic bid into the national tournament.
LC State will host eighth-seeded Northwest (Wash.) in the quarterfinal round of the tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. in the P1FCU Activity Center. Tickets are on sale now at lcwarriors.com/tickets.
THE MATCHUP
LC State and Northwest split the regular season after the Warriors won 74-67 in Lewiston and the Eagles earned an 82-77 victory in Kirkland. Dylan Skaife led LC State in both contests 17 points on the road and 16 at home. The Warriors shot an impressive 60.5% from the field in the contest in Lewiston, but a 22-for-22 night at the free throw line for Northwest in Kirkland was the difference maker in the loss.
The Warriors are 8-5 against Northwest since 2002 but have never faced the Eagles in the postseason.
THE WARRIORS (22-6, 16-4)
LC State took the CCC by storm this season and emerged as the top team in the standings. The Warriors won eight of their final nine games and used the depth of their lineup to their advantage.
The Warrior defense is one of the best in the NAIA and ranks seventh in the nation in scoring defense with 66.9 points allowed per game. LC State leads the CCC in 3-point percentage defense (30.8) and is second on the offensive side of the 3-ball with a 38.4% mark.
Senior John Lustig cemented himself as one of the best to wear an LC State uniform, but even a six-game hiatus due to injury didn’t slow the team down. Sophomore Dylan Skaife became one of the CCC’s biggest scoring threat from 3-point range, and newcomers made an immediate impact. Seniors Grayson Hunt and Peyton Nordland stepped into their leadership roles flawlessly and provided support across the court.
Lustig leads LC State in scoring and rebounding this season with 15.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest. He ranks second in the conference in field goal percentage (57.1) and fifth in rebounding. Fellow four-year senior Hunt is fourth in field goal percentage (56.8) and transfer Jamare’ Childs is fifth in 3-point percentage (44.0).
Skaife leads the team in the 3-point line with 76 triples this season and Childs is not far behind with 59. The pair have provided clutch baskets throughout the season, including a massive 29-point game by Skaife earlier this season.
Brandon Suber has been a spark off the bench with his team-leading 87 assists and 10.6 points per game, and Trevor Manning leads the team in steals with 17. He has aided the team with clutch 3-pointers and defense down the stretch. Senior Nordland has been key on the leadership front, along with 8.1 points per game and stellar defense at the perimeter.
THE EAGLES (12-16, 9-11)
Northwest ended the regular season on a four-game winning streak and capped the year with a 106-80 victory over Warner Pacific (Ore.). The Eagles swept Bushnell (Ore.) and Corban (Ore.) at home this season, then defeated LC State on Senior Day.
The Eagles lead the CCC in steals per game with 7.9 and are third in assists per game (14.8) and blocks per game (3.5). Christian Watkins leads the Cascade in steals with 68 and is fourth in assists (115). Trent Williams is third in the conference in 3-point percentage (44.3) and Andrew Iyamah is third in total blocks (38).
Lucius Fox is the top scorer this season for the Eagles with 14.1 points per game and Logan Stempniak is averaging 13.5 per game. Watkins and Williams are also in double digits with 12.1 and 10.6, respectively.
Fox also leads Northwest on the defensive end with 6.9 rebounds per game and Stempniak is grabbing 5.4.
THE DETAILS
The Warriors host Northwest on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The winner will advance to play in the CCC semifinal on Saturday, Feb. 28. Should LC State win, the game will be played in Lewiston.
