Lucas Wilson dunks undefended during the Titans’ game versus Linn-Benton on Feb. 20. Wilson finished with 22 points and seven rebounds in Lane’s 112-53 victory over the Roadrunners.
Titans clinch playoff berth by running over Linn-Benton, Mt. Hood
The Titans men hosted the Linn-Benton Roadrunners on Feb. 20 before heading to Mt. Hood on Feb. 23. By the end of the week, Lane secured first place in the south standings and clinched a playoff position.
The last meeting against the Roadrunners was a nail-biter, in which Lane won by a seven-point margin. This time, Lane had home court advantage and held a 39-point lead by half time.
“There’s times where you’re making all your shots, and your opponents aren’t making their shots,” Head Coach Joe White said. This seems to be the case, since the Titans sank 41 field goals to Linn-Benton’s 19.
Titan guard Tarik Cool drops two of his 35 points during the Feb. 20 game against Linn-Benton. Cool is ranked 6th in the conference in field goals made and is shooting 72 percent from the free throw line on the season. 
Head Coach Joe White speaks to freshman Lucas Wilson on the sidelines during the Titans’ Feb. 20 game against Linn-Benton. The Titans are ranked third in the NWAC and sporting a six game win streak.
This wasn’t just an offensive onslaught; Lane also had 44 rebounds. Rodney Hounshell led the team with 10 defensive rebounds.
Tarik Cool was the Titans’ offensive player of the game with 35 points. Cool successfully made 70 percent of his three-pointers and still managed to lead the team with six assists.
Linn-Benton was having an off day as they only made 27.5 percent of their field goals to Lane’s 57 percent. With a large lead, the Titans beat their opponents 112-53.
With the momentum of a five-game win streak, Lane went on the road to Mt. Hood.
The Titans started strong even though the first half of the game was a back-and-forth battle. For the first 10 minutes of the game, Mt. Hood had maintained an eight-point lead. Nearing half, Lane’s defense stepped up in a big way with nine rebounds and three blocks from starting guard Lucas Wilson.
Kickstarting the offense was Cool’s 17 first-half points and Cody Mathis’ perfect 6-6 field goals. Nearing halftime, Lane made 10 shot attempts in a row while the Saints struggled to keep up.
Will Graves led the team in scoring with 15 points in the second half, showing this win was an all-around team effort. Mt. Hood had a better second half, completing a higher volume of shots, but Lane still managed to out score their opponents 101-74.
The Titans’ season is coming to a climactic end. First-year Head Coach Joe White has led his team to first place and officially clinched a playoff seed after the win at Mt. Hood. Riding a six-game win streak, Lane has a lot of momentum going into the playoffs.
