LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The seventh-ranked Lewis-Clark State College women's basketball team passed their toughest test of the season to date with a 68-49 victory over Xavier University of Louisiana in the third game of the Frontier Conference Las Vegas Shootout at Durango High School on Friday night.
 
The game was closer than the final score indicates as LCSC led by just two points after 10 minutes and the Gold Nuggets, who received votes in the preseason coaches' poll, took a brief lead early in the second quarter. A pair of 3-pointers by Natahnee Spencer swung momentum to LCSC as the Warriors closed the half on a 13-0 run and scored eight of the first 10 points in the third quarter to open a 22-point lead.
 
"We started out ok, but we struggled with their pressure all night," said Warriors Head Coach Brian Orr. "We turned it over, were missing shots and got into some foul trouble, but Natahnee hit a pair of shots that really changed the game. She sparked that run late in the second quarter and that was the difference tonight."
 
Spencer, who finished with a game-high 20 points, was 0-for-2 from behind the arc with just two points before scoring nine straight LC points in the second quarter. Four points from Caelyn Orlandi and three from Jossilyn Blackman led to a 13-point run to close the half with a 16-point, 40-24 lead.
 
"That run at the end of the first half really set the tone for the second half," said Orr. "Moments like that can swing a game and they did tonight. I thought Natahnee played really well tonight and Tackett had a great game with her second career double-double."
 
It was a back and forth first quarter that saw the Warriors lead throughout, but the momentum was with Xavier to close the opening 10 minutes as the Gold Nuggets scored the final six points to cut the LC lead to two, 15-13.
 
After a pair of Brooke Litalien free throws pushed the led back to four, XU answered with a Jayln Hodge 3-pointer and a fast break layup by Maya Trench who went coast-to-coast off an LC turnover for an 18-17 lead. Then, with LC clinging to a one-point lead, 23-22, Spencer hit the first of her three consecutive 3-pointers to help LCSC outscore the Gold Nuggets 16-2 over the final six minutes of the half.
 
A pair of Tackett baskets sandwiched a Terriel Ross layup and two Litalien free throws and a Megan Risinger basket pushed the lead to 22, 48-26. LCSC continued to build the lead throughout the second half, including a 13-3 run to begin the fourth quarter to push the lead to 29. The Gold Nuggets closed the game on a 10-1 run for the final 20-point margin.
 
"I really liked how we finished the first half, but I was disappointed in the way we finished the second half, getting outscored the way we did and turning the ball over," said Orr. "At the end of the game it didn't feel like we had won. This team is really a perfectionist type team and when we don't play the way we want they don't celebrate like a team that just won by 20 points. But we got the win and I was happy with the way we were able to take back the lead and build on it throughout the game."
 
LCSC outscored Xavier 15-7 in points off turnovers and 15-2 in second chance points while the Gold Nuggets bench outscored LC's 41-16. The difference in the contest was the Warriors ability to string together runs and rebound the basketball, an area they won 59-37.
 
Spencer finished with 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting including five threes. Risinger grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, which included six on the offensive glass, while Tackett recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Orlandi finished the contest with eight assists to go with four points and six rebounds.
 
"I thought Goose (Orlandi) played well tonight and found the open player," said Orr. "We are starting to come together offensively and tonight we faced a different challenge and a changing defense all night. We definitely got better tonight. When you face this kind of competition it makes you better."
 
LCSC finished the contest shooting 36.8 percent from the field, 21-of-57, which included a 27.6 percent mark from three, 8-of-29. The Warriors uncharacteristically struggled from the charity stripe where they shot just 54.5 percent, 18-of-33.
 
On defense, the Warriors limited Xavier to just 19-of-71 from the field, a 26.8 percent mark and just 5-of-21 from long range, a 23.8 percent clip. The Gold Nuggets converted 66.7 percent of their free throws to finish 6-of-9.
 
The loss drops the Gold Nuggets to 3-3 on the season while LCSC moves to 7-0 with the win. The Warriors will put their perfect record on the line on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. when they face Northwest Christian University in the second of three games at the Las Vegas Shootout. Live stats for the contest are available here.