DEVILS LAKE — It was raining threes on the final day of the Spirit Lake Casino & Resort Classic.
Lake Region State College women’s basketball (2-2) earned its first home win Sunday afternoon. The Royals, despite a relatively slow start, exploded for a 112-44 win over Minnesota North College — Vermilion (3-2). They hit 18 threes — including six each from Lara Graham and Torri Fee.
“We shared the ball very well, something that at times we struggled to do a little bit,” LRSC head coach Colden Hutton said. “But tonight, we really shared and got a lot of open looks. Torri being 6-of-8, Lara being 6-of-9 from three, is incredible. I don’t know if 18’s a program record. But it’s up there, for sure.”
The Vermilion women’s basketball program has only been around since the 2023-24 season. Last year, the Royals beat the Ironhawks 101-31. While it wasn’t the toughest competition they’ll see this year, it gave them a chance to bounce back from Saturday’s 73-56 loss to No. 7 North Iowa Area Community College.
The 112 points was the most for LRSC women’s basketball since Jan. 26, 2015, when it put up 129 against Leech Lake Community College.
And the Royals didn’t even get going right away. Early in the second quarter, their lead was a slim 22-17.
“Our energy wasn’t where it needed to be at tonight,” Hutton said. “We were being a little lackadaisical and everything.”
LRSC took off with a 23-0 run. Graham hit her third triple of the half, while Sydney Schwabe chipped in with an and-one. Vermilion responded with not much more than weak long-ball attempts.
“Definitely our bench energy, and our on-court energy,” Graham said of what changed. “Talking through everything really helped.”
Freshman Zoie Austin, the team’s leading scorer so far this year, had 10 points in the second quarter. She finished second on the team with 21 points overall Sunday.
“She played in a lot of high-level games at Bismarck Century, going to back-to-back-to-back state championships,” Hutton said. “And that transition has been really good for us. For her, too. There’s been no drop-off or anything.”
The Royals went into halftime with a 46-23 lead. But they outdid themselves in the second half.
Graham scored the first nine LRSC points of the half, all from triples. She said her teammates’ support helped her lock down those threes.
“I really felt like they had my back when I was putting those shots up,” Graham said.
Graham is a returning sophomore from Australia. After mostly coming off the bench last year, she’s been getting some starts for LRSC. She led the Royals with 22 points on Sunday.
“I think it’s definitely boosted my confidence,” Graham said of her increased role. “It’s definitely exciting to be able to start. But I think also, last year, rotating off the bench was fine as well. We had a really good team last year, and I think this year’s team is just as good.”
Jenna Tierney also had a big third quarter with 11 points, including a triple and two free throws. She had 17 points overall.
“All of our pieces — Jenna, especially, too, just being able to drive and create, get downhill and finish — just adding that other layer of it,” Hutton said. “We can’t just be a three-point shooting team. We can’t just be a driving team. And we’ve kind of split that with the group that we’ve got here.”
LRSC went on another big run in the third quarter, 20-0, to extend its lead to 77-31.
The Royals kept adding on with late-game explosions from Fee and Ayiana Gray. Fee, a Devils Lake native playing on her home floor, had only three points in the first half. But she knocked down two triples in the third quarter, then kept rolling with three more in the fourth.
Along with her two free throws, Fee finished third on the team with 20 points Sunday afternoon.
“It might be the home gym,” Hutton said, grinning. “But also, this might be Torri being very good at shooting and basketball. So I’m glad we have her back [from volleyball], and it’s gonna be a fun ride for us.”
Gray hit three triples in the fourth quarter. After only two points in the first three quarters, she finished with 13.
Schwabe added four points in the fourth quarter to finish with nine overall. She was LRSC’s leading scorer last year and only went 2-of-7 from the floor Sunday, including 0-of-4 from beyond the arc.
But she still had a productive game overall with seven rebounds and 10 assists.
“For us to sit here and be like, ‘Yeah, wasn’t her best game,’ it’s crazy to think. But it’s true,” Hutton said. “I think it’s just the adjustment of going from volleyball straight to basketball. And she’ll get there. She’ll definitely get there. I have faith in it.”
Free throws from Gray got LRSC past the 100-point mark. Gray scored 11 of the Royals’ final 13 points.
After the 22-17 start, the Royals outscored the Ironhawks 90-27.
“Definitely a good step for us,” Hutton said. “Just being able to put 40 minutes together is what we’ve got to work towards. And today we probably put together, I would say, 27 to 30 minutes. The first half was a little rough. But the closer we get to putting 40 minutes together, we’re gonna be a really tough team to beat.”
The Royals also got five points each from Kiritiana Patea and Caitlin Hull. They used eight players, with three currently nursing injuries. Tylee Black is likely out until around Christmas. Danielle McNamara got hurt on Saturday, but Hutton said he hopes to have her back by next weekend. Brooke Welle, meanwhile, is week-to-week.
It’s a road-heavy schedule in the early part of the season, with this weekend being the only home action until after the new year. They’ll compete in the Williston State College Classic on Friday and Saturday.
“I think this team can really do something with the program,” Graham said. “I’m really excited for it.”
