Derrick Lee Jr. shoots a three from the corner. (Photo by Mojo Hill)
DEVILS LAKE — The Royals were without two of their best scorers on Sunday.
That didn’t stop them from winning their second straight conference game against a team they’d previously lost to by 12.
“They got us last time,” Australian sophomore guard Remy Davis Warrington said. “So it’s good to get them this time.”
Dane Hagler twisted his ankle on Wednesday. He’ll be out for at least another week. Akok Ajou, after scoring 48 points in his last two games, was suspended for a “team rules violation,” according to head coach Jared Marshall. He’ll be back Monday.
The Royals (12-15, 2-7) overcame an 11-point deficit to beat Miles Community College (11-16, 4-5) 94-84 on Sunday at the Devils Lake Sports Center.
“We were a little shorthanded without Dane and AK, but man, that was just a gritty win by our boys,” Marshall said. “I’m really proud of them for that. Two in a row; now we’re starting to feel good. And this is the time you want to be peaking.”
With two players out, LRSC dipped into its bench a little earlier than usual.
Jeremiah Johnson appeared within the first few minutes. He provided an instant spark, putting up 12 points in the first half. He was LRSC’s leading scorer with 21.
“Jeremiah probably should be starting, but I just love what he brings off the bench for us,” Marshall said. “And we’ve had plenty of conversations about it. It’s not that he shouldn’t start or doesn’t deserve to start in these games. It’s just, I like what we’re getting from him when he comes in off the bench. The game doesn’t stay the same. He usually brings something.”
Jazayah Gates started for just the second time in his Royals career.
He hit three triples in the first half and played strong defense.
“I thought he did a really nice job on that No. 3 [Azenio Cossa],” Marshall said. I thought he made him work. It was kind of a team effort with our trap and things like that. He always brings good energy. … He was great tonight.”
At 13:42, the Royals trailing 10-9, they put Derrick Lee Jr. in the game. The Division I transfer has gotten little playing time all season, and even less as of late.
With Lee in there, though, LRSC went on a 7-0 run. He made 2-of-2 free throws and later hit a corner three.
He bullied his way to the rim twice in the second half to finish with nine points. He only went 1-for-6 from three-point range, but his physicality impacted the game.
“That’s one thing I’d like to see him do more of, is get to the hoop,” Marshall said. “I’d really like to see him maybe settle less and use that physicality towards the hoop, because it wasn’t even just about scoring. He was causing fouls on them as well, because they just couldn’t handle that. And so that was good to see.”
After MCC tied it up at 19-19, Lee went back out while Dalen Leftbear entered. Johnson traded go-ahead threes with the Pioneers’ Dylan Swenson, and Cooper Adams quickly got down the floor to tie up for the Royals, 24-24.
MCC’s duo of Jace Hill and Cossa each scored 10 in the first half. The Pioneers extended their lead as wide as 37-26.
But Gates hit a late triple to get LRSC within three. The Royals went to halftime down 46-42.
In the second half, early threes by Davis Warrington and Leftbear kept the Royals in it.
Davis Warrington added 12 points to his line to finish with 20. He added a team-high 13 rebounds. The second-year Royal has started all 27 games and is averaging 12.5 points.
“I enjoy it, and Coach gives me a lot of rope,” Davis Warrington said. “So yeah, it’s just fun to be out there.”
A big 14-point second half from Ashton Munro fueled the LRSC comeback. Trailing by as many as nine in the second half, the Royals took over the game with an 18-0 run. Munro had scored only two in the first half.
“I think their length was bothering him just a little bit in the first half, and he adjusted,” Marshall said. “It’s been three straight games now since he’s entered the starting lineup where he’s made plays for us, and has been a big part of our success.”
Combined with what Johnson and Davis Warrington were doing, it was a multifaceted attack for the Pioneers to contend with.
“Just dogs,” Davis Warrington said of the support down the lineup. “They do the little things. They work hard, and then they get buckets. And that’s what we need.”
Lee also re-entered the game with 15 minutes left. He scored four of his points during a dominant stretch that put LRSC ahead 74-63.
MCC struggled to finish in the paint.
The Pioneers briefly got going again with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to two, but the Royals responded with 11 in a row of their own.
“We got up and down on them,” Marshall said. “We just kind of forced difficult shots. … We took advantage of their misses, and we got out and ran because of it.”
As a team, the Royals went 25-for-28 from the free throw line. MCC also shot well but didn’t have as many opportunities in that department, going 12-for-13. Davis Warrington’s 9-for-10 showing set the pace.
“That’s something we’ve been working on so much this year,” Marshall said. “That’s the reason we won.”
Ikhuoria Osezojie added two points and five rebounds off the bench to complement Johnson and Lee’s efforts.
“It wasn’t even our starters. It was our bench guys,” Davis Warrington said. “And that’s what we said in the locker room: We need everyone to step up. We’ve got a bunch of guys out, with Dane and AK. So it was good to see them step up. They won us the game today.”
The Royals have finally cracked through after a season-long struggle in conference games. With two wins under their belt, they’ll look to avenge a 90-87 loss to Dawson Community College on Monday.
“Even our losses, we lost to the best two teams by just a few points,” Davis Warrington said. “So we proved that we belong and that our record doesn’t show who we are, and that we can make a run in the second half of the season.”
The game will be played at Four Winds Community High School.
Not a problem, says Marshall.
“Every game’s a road game for us. I mean, I love the Sports Center and everything like that, but we don’t get shots over here. It’s unfamiliar to us. It’s not like we get a lot of practice time in this gym,” Marshall said. “We’ve just got to adjust. And if we can do what we did last time and handle their press and take them out of it and make good decisions in transition, then we’re going to see success tomorrow.”
