CHEYENNE, WY - Sophomore Sam Hester scored a game-high 17 points on sophomore day to lead the Golden Eagles (1-1) to their first win, beating North Platte (0-3) 75-64 on Saturday afternoon at the RAC.

Sophomore Sam Hester (Saratoga Springs, Utah) wasted little time getting things started on sophomore day, hitting a three in the corner to open the scoring. For the second consecutive evening, the Golden Eagles played a solid first quarter thanks to a 7-2 run to start the game as the Golden Eagles raced out to the early lead. 

Hester finished four points shy of tying her career-high, finishing with 17 points, going 4-5 from the three-point line, leading the Golden Eagles.

North Platte took the lead early in the second quarter thanks to a 5-0 run. The Golden Eagles answered with a run of their own after an Ariadna Bleda (Barcelona, Spain) basket stopped North Platte's run. LCCC trailed 22-21 mid-way through the 2nd quarter before embarking on a 16-0 run to the end the half, started by a Hester three. 

Bleda finished with 15 points, a career-high for the freshman, and went 2-5 from the three-point line. 

North Platte ended the run with a pair of technical free throws to start the half. The Knights closed the gap before a run helped the Golden Eagles fend off the Knights for their first win of the season. LCCC shot 57.1 percent and outrebounded North Platte 30-20 in the win. 

The Golden Eagle will hit the road Tuesday, January 26 as they head to Sterling to take on Northeastern at 5:30 pm.