Both Lake Region State College basketball teams took home victories against the University of Jamestown JV at home on Sunday.
The men’s team won 82-71, giving them a three-game winning streak and improving their record to 6-10. The Royals had a tough eight-game losing streak earlier in the season, but they’ve now won four of their last five.
Blessed Barhayiga, the team’s top shooter for the season, led with 16 points. Harrison Rayner was right behind him with 15. Barhayiga and Noah Bonick each had 10 rebounds, with eight of those being defensive for Bonick. The Royals made 42.3% of their field goals compared to Jamestown’s 38%. LRSC was also boosted by 18 free throws.
The men are 2-5 in conference play, placing them sixth out of eight teams in the Mon-Dak Athletic Conference.
The women’s team, meanwhile, has completely flipped its season around with a seven-game winning streak. Once 3-6, the Royals are now 10-6 after their latest win, a 57-51 victory over Jamestown. Kelsey Crossan led with 14 points, while Kyla Fitzgerald had 11 and Anisah Wolf had 10. The team also converted 80% of its free throws, aiding a 32.7 field goal percentage that was below the squad’s season average.
For the season, Crossan leads the team in points per game at 11.2, while Brooke Kleinig is right behind at 10.3. The Royals have a 3-4 record in conference play, placing them fourth out of eight teams in the Mon-Dak Athletic Conference.
“Coming back from break is always a hectic time; a lot of practicing to get everyone back in the rhythm of things,” head coach Ryan Clark said, per a press release. “I have loved the effort and energy the group has brought to every practice, and it’s nice to get rewarded with a couple of wins to start the new year.”
Both teams will be back in action on Wednesday at home against Bismarck State College. The Mystics are second-to-last in the men’s conference and last in the women’s conference. The women’s game begins at 1 p.m., while the men’s game will commence at 3 p.m at Lake Region State College.
