Sagan Osborne – Dickinson State Sports & Marketing Information Director
Caldwell, Idaho – Dickinson State gave #25 Lewis-Clark State all they could handle, but ultimately came up just short, falling 81-79 in a tight, back-and-forth battle at the J.A. Albertsons Activity Center in Caldwell, Idaho. It was the Blue Hawks' opening game at the Taco Bell Shootout hosted by The College of Idaho. DSU had a shot at the buzzer, but Trey Stevens was unable to connect on the game winner.
"I was super proud of our effort today," said Head Coach Derek Selvig. "We are starting to see some shots fall and we are continuing to focus really well on defense. Bummer we lost, but I feel like we got better today."
The Blue Hawks started strong, holding a slight 37-34 lead at the half. Key contributions from Kose Egbule and Cordell Stinson kept the Hawks in command early on, with Egbule leading Dickinson State with 19 points, shooting 7-for-11 from the field, while Stinson added 13 points and 6 rebounds.
The second half saw the Warriors roar back, thanks in part to Alton Hamilton, who had an impressive double-double with 28 points and 18 rebounds. Hamilton proved to be the heart of Lewis-Clark's comeback, consistently crashing the boards and sinking crucial free throws, hitting 11 of his 12 attempts from the line. Lewis-Clark's dominance in the paint, outscoring the Blue Hawks 38-24 in that area, was a significant factor as they inched their way back into the lead.
Dickinson State held its ground, with bench players stepping up to keep the game within reach. Jaiden Wright provided a spark with 15 points, including three buckets from beyond the arc. Aidan Fishell was another standout off the bench, scoring nine points with three perfect three-point shots. Their contributions kept the Blue Hawks neck and neck with the Warriors, as the two teams went back and forth for the better part of the second half.
With only seconds remaining and Lewis-Clark up by two, Dickinson State had one last chance to pull off the win. Trey Stevens sank a three-pointer with 22 seconds left to tie the game at 79-79, but a quick foul on Jake Daniel sent Hamilton back to the line, where he calmly sank both shots, putting the Warriors up by two with just seven seconds left on the clock.
Both teams played cleanly, with only 11 turnovers in the game (5 on DSU and 6 on LCSC), but the Blue Hawks struggled on the boards. The Warriors capitalized on their 45 rebounds compared to Dickinson's 25, leading to multiple second-chance opportunities that ultimately tipped the scales.