LBCC Men’s Basketball – Beaks Fall to Red Devils at Home

Albany, OR – The Linn-Benton Men’s basketball team lost to Lower Columbia Community College on Saturday, November 18 in Albany.

With a final score of 75-49, the Red Devils were able to capitalize on the Roadrunners’ shooting struggles from the field, and held the lead for almost the entire game. 

LB entered the contest at 1-0, having won their season opener at home versus the Linfield University Junior Varsity team. They now stand at 1-1. This was the Red Devils’ first game of the season and their leading scorer Kobe Parlin had 16 points on 6-10 shooting with four assists, two rebounds, and three steals.

Lower Columbia jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Beaks scored, and LB managed to take the lead early on with a 12-0 run. LB’s Kamana Lapina was responsible for 8 of those points, but the Red Devils were able to recover.

Following the Beaks’ streak, LC went on a 7-3 run of their own to bring the score to 17-11 in favor of LB. A 7-0 run from LC allowed them to take the lead at 18-17, and the teams traded the lead two more times before the Red Devils were able to build on their lead, expanding it to 27-19 with a Carter McCoy free throw.

Another Kamana Lapina layup cut the lead to 27-21, and Lapina managed to hit a three-point shot to cut the lead to five, but LC was able to respond and finished the first half with a 12-0 run that gave them the lead for good. 

Entering the second half with a 41-24 lead, the Red Devils expanded their advantage to 20 with a Kaden Horn layup and free throw. Plagued by a night of more misses than makes for Linn-Benton, the Red Devils expanded their lead throughout the second half, and after another layup from Parlin, led by 22. 

LB’s Cade Smith put in a layup to cut it to 20, and three free throws from LB’s TJ Zimmermann shaved the lead down to 17. Much of the ensuing gameplay was trading shots and free throws from LB’s Mesziah Ford with 8:16 left in the game, which once again brought LC’s advantage down to 17. 

From there, LC began to take control of the game. With the score 58-41, the Red Devils went on a 10-3 run to bring the score to 68-41. Following a jump shot from Smith, LC continued their streak to end the game, finishing with a score of 75-49.

For the game, LB’s TJ Zimmermann led the team with 11 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Lapina had 10 points and three rebounds, while Michael Lundy had nine points, five rebounds, and one steal. 

The Roadrunners fall to 0-1 in NWAC play, while the Red Devils begin their season at 1-0.

The Roadrunners will next take the court against the Multnomah University Junior Varsity team on Tuesday, November 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Activities Center in Albany.