CORVALLIS, OR – A trio of LC State Men’s Basketball players earned accolades from the Cascade Conference, announced by the conference office on Wednesday. John Lustig and Dylan Skaife earned All-Cascade Conference honors and Brandon Suber was voted All-CCC Honorable Mention.
“These three guys are very deserving of their recognition as they helped us to a conference championship and another season of more than 20 wins,” coach Austin Johnson said. “Each would tell you their teammates had a great impact in their individual success. Being a conference champion has involved the seen and unseen efforts of our whole roster. Each player has had to make a lot of decisions, and they have consistently made the right ones in putting the team over their individual notoriety. This is a special team, and I am thankful these three are representing LC on the all-conference list.”
Lustig will go down as one of the best to wear a Warrior jersey as his historic career nears its end. The senior from Colfax is closing in on LC State’s all-time scoring record with 1442 points in his career. He leads the Warriors in scoring this season with 15.6 points per game and is third in the CCC in field goal percentage at 57.5%. Lustig is also LC State’s top rebounder this season and ranks fifth in the conference with 7.3 per game. He stuffs the stat sheet and has 66 assists, 17 blocks and 14 steals. He has scored at least 20 points in eight games and has been voted both the CCC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week.
“Very deserved for John despite missing a handful of games,” Johnson said. “In many ways this team has taken on his identity of toughness and teamwork. He has been the anchor for us on both sides of the ball. Hard to find a more complete competitor in our league as he takes on a ton of the workload for both our offense and defense. His mentally tough approach has helped him maximize his ability and has helped our team further its potential. Night in and night out he plays with an elite motor and makes winning play after winning play. John has a lot of impressive season and career stats, but what makes John so special is his understanding that the most important stat is winning. Happy to see him finishing out his senior year on such a positive note.”
Skaife earned his first conference honor after a breakout season for the Warriors. The sophomore made his name as one of the best 3-point shooters in the conference and leads LC State with 86 so far this season. He is second on the team with 12.2 points per game and is shooting 40.3% from the field. He has been a consistent playmaker with 59 assists and is tied for the team lead with 21 steals. Skaife took on a major scoring role during Lustig’s absence and scored a career-high 29 points at Corban (Ore.) with seven 3-pointers.
“Dylan has really come on down the stretch of the season,” Johnson said. “His ability to get open and find space has helped him become one of the premier shooters in our league. With different injuries to guys throughout the years, he has had to really step up. He has hit some really clutch shots for us that have propelled us to big wins. Along with his improved offensive game it has been just as important to see him maintain a high level of diversity on the defensive end as we’ve asked him to defend a multitude of skillsets throughout the year. Excited to see him keep improving.”
Suber made his first season at LC State one to remember as one of the premier playmakers in the conference. The junior ranks fifth in the CCC in assists this season and leads the Warriors with 101. He is LC State’s top scorer off the bench with 10.4 points per game and is efficient with a 51.2% mark from the field.
“Brandon has been a sparkplug for us off the bench all year,” Johnson said. “His offensive versatility and ability to create for his teammates has helped sustain us through many games. He brings an energy that impacts our team on and off the court. He has embraced his role and the responsibility that comes with it as well as any player we’ve had at LC. Thankful to have been able to go to battle with him this year.”
