SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – The seventh-ranked and undefeated Lewis-Clark State College women's basketball team celebrated Jansen Edmiston's birthday on Friday night with a 78-59 thumping of 14th-ranked The Master's University at Bross Gym.
 
It was the Warriors' first game in the Jersey Mike's Thanksgiving Classic hosted by the Mustangs, who fell to 3-1 with the loss. LC moved to 10-0 with the win.
 
"When you look at our non-conference schedule in terms of ranked teams in the NAIA, this win, on the road, is a big one for us," said Warriors Head Coach Brian Orr. "We tried to make sure we came out with great focus and intensity and we did just that. I thought our defensive intensity was the best it's been all season and we were very efficient on the offensive end."
 
That intense defensive effort forced 18 turnovers which LCSC converted into 26 points which included 12 in the first quarter. Edmiston led the defensive effort with a game-high four steals and, while she didn't score on her birthday, Orr says he's proud of how she played defensively and how well she saw the floor with three assists.
 
Good ball movement led the to an efficient offensive attack as LC tallied 21 assists on 29 field goals. Caelyn Orlandi led the charge on that front with seven assists. She also scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds.
 
"Caelyn was great all night, she really controlled the game," said Orr. "When she attacked the basket no one could stop her and she really found a lot of open players tonight. She looked dominant.
 
I thought we controlled the pace of the game. We wanted to attack in transition and we did that. If they stopped us in transition, we wanted to move the ball to find the open player and we did that."
 
The efficiency on offense started early as LC missed just one shot on its first five possessions en route to a 12-0 lead. Orlandi hit a pair of threes to cap the run and the Warriors never looked back.
 
LCSC led by as many as 18 points in the first quarter but a Megan Lindsley three made it 28-13 after one. A six-point run early in the second quarter cut the LC lead to 14, but Spencer knocked down back-to-back treys to push the margin to 22, 41-19. A couple late baskets by TMU ended the half with LC in front 46-25.
 
"Natahnee hit a pair of big 3's for us tonight," said Orr. "She hit two back-to-back after they made a little run and it really took the wind out of their sails and really established the dominance we had all game long."
 
The Warriors kept the foot on the gas in the third as they outscored the Mustangs 23-16 in the period and opened up a 30-point margin before the offense cooled off in the fourth.
 
"When you have a big lead like we did tonight you are just after stops," said Orr. "In the second half they started to get second and third looks, but Hailey [Turner] came in and did a great job on the boards. She grabbed eight defensive rebounds and really did a great job in the third quarter keeping them off the glass."
 
Turner led the Warriors with her eight rebounds to go with six points. Tackett led the team with 13 points while Risinger added 12, Spencer finished with 11 and Jossilyn Blackman tallied 10.
 
"Bianca Cubello, their post, is supposed to be one of the best in the country and I thought we did a good job on her tonight," said Orr. "We grew up tonight. Playing against a player like that is what our posts need. We still have some work to do but our post defense is getting better and better and tonight was a step forward."
 
The offense was a force again in the win as LC shot 49.2 percent, 29-of-59, from the field and 42.1 percent, 8-of-19, from the 3-point arc. Lewis-Clark State also converted 12-of-19, 63.2 percent, free throws.
 
Defensively, the Warriors collected 10 steals and limited the Mustangs to 23-of-62, 37.1 percent, shooting which included a 6-of-23, 26.1 percent, mark from long range.
 
LCSC has a quick turnaround with a 12 p.m. tip on Saturday, Nov. 26 against Hope International in the final game of the Jersey Mike's Thanksgiving Classic. The Royals won the first game on Friday, a 66-56 win over Southwest (NM). The Warriors return home on Dec. 1 as they open Frontier Conference play against the University of Great Falls at 5:30 p.m.