Titans 4-0 after win over NCC.

Byline: JOE LODLE The Register-Guard

It was sloppy and maybe even, as one fan was overheard to say, boring.

But, hey, it isn't even December yet and Lane Community College coach Jim Boutin will take a win any month of the year.

Which is what his Titans came away with on Friday night when they defeated the visiting Northwest Christian College Crusaders 77-62 in a nonleague men's basketball game.

The win, Lane's second over NCC this month (the Titans won the first 72-64), gave them a 4-0 record and dropped Northwest Christian to 1-6.

"We didn't do a good job of screening out on rebounds and we put it on cruise control a little bit too much," Boutin said. "But 13 guys got to play and we're pleased with a victory and happy to be 4-0."

Lane shot 51.6 percent, connecting on 33-of-64 shots from the field to go with 9-of-11 from the free-throw line. The Crusaders were not far behind, shooting 47.4 percent (27-of-57) from the floor and 5-of-8 from the line.

Northwest Christian was never able to dig out of an early hole created when they went scoreless for almost six minutes while the Titans were streaking for 13 points to take a 17-7 lead with 11:47 left in the first half.

The closest the Crusaders got after that was seven points shortly afterward as Lane built its lead to 36-22 at halftime. The Titans then went on an eight-point binge early in the second half to take their biggest lead of the night at 48-28 when Caleb Upchurch scored inside with 15:39 left.

"We're shooting ourselves in the foot, both offensively and defensively," NCC Coach Dave Lipp said. "Right now, we're a pretty good practice team but we don't do as well when the bright lights come on."

The Crusaders clawed back to as close as 69-58 with 2:50 left in the game, but Lane outscored NCC 8-4 the rest of the way.

"The effort was there but we didn't play with much intensity," Boutin said. "We gave them too many easy baskets off missed shots."

Leading the Titans was Churchill graduate Jered Alsup with 17 points, followed by Upchurch with 15. Also in double figures were Joel Worcester, another Churchill grad, with 11 points and Paul Miller with 10.

"Caleb and Jered both did a good job of scoring inside," Boutin said. "And Joel did a good job of getting us into our offense."

Joe Beal led Northwest Christian with 13 points and Steve Farley, formerly of Thurston, had eight assists.

Next for Lane is a Thursday game against Linfield's JV at 7 p.m. in the first round of the two-day Dale Bates Tournament at LCC. Northwest Christian plays Umpqua Community College tonight at 7:30 at O'Hara Catholic School.