This past weekend, the quest for a third consecutive postseason appearance began for the Linn-Benton men’s basketball team.
The team tipped off their season by traveling to Pasco, Washington, to take on Walla Walla and Columbia Basin at the Columbia Basin Invitational. The Roadrunners split their matchups, falling 100-112 to Walla Walla on Nov. 14 before picking up their first win of the season against Columbia Basin by a score of 84-77 the following day.
Against Walla Walla, the team battled hard in what would be a high-scoring offensive battle. Despite Walla Walla getting off to a hot start, the Roadrunners kept themselves in the game and only trailed by eight at the half. However, the Warriors kept up the intensity to start the second half and extended their lead to 18 within five minutes. Linn-Benton cut the lead to seven with over ten minutes to play; however, Walla Walla would be too much to handle as they never gave up their advantage en route to a 112-100 victory.
Winger Cade Smith scored 20 points, while guard Michael Lundy put up 19. Forward Jackson Oglesby led the team with eight rebounds, while Gabe Townsend followed closely behind with seven. The Roadrunners also found success from their younger players, with freshman Eli Lerman scoring 16 points and freshman Mykah Mendoza scoring 17.
The next day, the Roadrunners responded resiliently by beating tournament hosts Columbia Basin. Linn-Benton trailed 30-39 in the first half with less than five minutes to go before going on a run that led them to only trail by two at the break. The Roadrunners fought tooth and nail despite stern resistance from the Hawks and finally took a 66-64 lead with a little under seven minutes left to play. The team would see out the rest of the half, earning them a hard-fought first victory of the season.
Townsend led the team in scoring from off the bench, putting up 21 points in 33 minutes. Mendoza put on an impressive display, recording 20 points and shooting 7 for 11 despite only playing 17 minutes.
The Roadrunners left the tournament with a 1-1 overall record before their next match at home against Green River. The match is a part of the LB Classic Tournament and is set for a tip-off time of 7 p.m. on Nov. 20.
