Lewiston, ID - The Northwest men's basketball team fought bitterly but ultimately fell short against LC State 81-71. 

The Eagles finally got a hold of a win after defeating the Wolves the previous night, snapping an eight game losing streak and looked towards the future with a new smile. Their next opponent was the Warriors of LC State, a team that squeaked by with a two-point win against the Geoducks the night before. 

This game was close from the start, with both teams exchanging leads early on. Even the first half was not enough to separate them as the score was deadlocked at 36 apiece. The Eagles were able to come out with the better shooting percentage with a tally of 45.2% compared to the Warriors 38.7%. However the Warriors won out on the free throw line by splashing 91.7%. 

The Eagles did well offensively in the second, splashing 62.5% of their threes and drilling 87.5% of their free throws. Unfortunately, it was not enough. The biggest difference in the game occurred in the midway point of the half where the Warriors managed a 16-point lead, which proved too steep for the Eagles to overcome. In addition to 18 rebounds, the Warriors were able to secure a close-knit win and edge out the Eagles. 

Filip Mugosa was the leader of the team in points, amassing 15 points while both Ethan Martin and Caleb Whalen posed 13 points. Alton Hamliton of the Warriors recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds on the night. 
 

"Great battle tonight," said Head Coach Rick Skeen. "Our guys gave a gritty effort. We turned the ball over too much in the second half but were right there to the end. We have to get better playing with our feet on defense as we gave up 39 Free throw attempts. We will work on that this week."