BILLINGS, Mont. ­– Caelyn Orlandi and Jossilyn Blackman combined for 15 points in the final quarter to help the No. 4-ranked Lewis-Clark State College women's basketball team hold off upset-minded Rocky Mountain 68-63 in Frontier Conference play on Saturday night.

The Warriors led by as much as 12 in the third quarter, but Rocky put together a 10-0 run to cut the lead to two entering the final 10 minutes. Blackman scored six points in the quarter, including both buckets to move two-point LCSC leads to four points. Orlandi, who had nine in the quarter, hit three free throws in the final 15 seconds to give the Warriors their second road win over the Bears by five points.

"It was a tough game," LCSC coach Brian Orr said. "It just felt like no lead was safe no matter how big it was. Rocky played extremely well and took advantage of some our weaknesses, but we found a way to win."

LCSC, which already has locked up the conference's regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, improves to 28-1 overall and 16-1 in conference play.  The 28 wins ties for the most regular-season wins in program history. The 2006-07 squad also won 28 regular-season games.

LCSC only has one regular-season game remaining at home against Carroll next Saturday. A win there would set the regular season win record and mark the first time since the 2007-08 season that LCSC only lost one game in conference play. LCSC went 13-1 in the FC that year.

"Every season is different and every team is different, and I like the fact that this team has kind of created its own legacy," Orr said. "We still have a lot more basketball left. We still have the second season (postseason) ahead. But anything they accomplish is great because this is such a great group."

As well as closing in on the regular-season win total and the overall win total of 33 set in the 2000-01 season, Saturday's victory was the 398^th at LCSC for coach Brian Orr in his 16 years at the helm. He is the all-time winningest basketball coach – women or men – at LCSC.

As with LCSC"s 83-78 road win in Billings last month over Rocky, the Warriors had to hold off a Battlin' Bears' run in the second half. LCSC controlled most of the first half and took a 34-23 lead into intermission.

The Warriors continued to hold the upper hand for most of the third quarter and took a 49-37 lead on a 3-pointer by Lauren Johnson at the 3:12 mark. Unfortunately for the Warriors, those were their last points of the quarter.

Jayde Lefevre hit two 3-pointers and Keisha Engelhardt made four free throws for a 10-0 Bear run that cut the margin to 49-47 entering the final quarter.

Blackman hit the first shot of the fourth quarter and added another to help the Warriors start on a 6-1 run for a 55-48 lead. Orlandi scored the next four for LCSC and the lead remained at seven at 59-52. Rocky, however, went on a 5-0 run and again cut the lead to two at 59-57.

Blackman, a junior post, again responded with an inside bucket to give LCSC some breathing room and Brittany Tackett added a bucket for a six-point lead. RMC cut the margin to four on three different occasions, but Orlandi answered with a bucket and her three free throws to clinch the win. In all, Orlandi and Blackman scored 15 of LCSC's 19 fourth-quarter points.

"Jossilyn Blackman had another great game and Caelyn, whenever we needed a basket or a big play, she came through for us big time," Orr said. "They both had great games."

Orlandi, who played through a deep heel bruise, finished with 17 points and the nation's leader in assists had seven on Saturday. Blackman added 12 points and five rebounds, while Natahnee Spencer added 11 points. Blackman, Tackett, and Megan Risinger all had five rebounds for LC.

For the game, the Warriors were 26-of-57 from the field for 45.6 percent, and 6-of-21 from the 3-point line for 28.6 percent. Rocky Mountain was 21-of-59 from the field, 35.6 percent, and 4-of-19 from the 3-point line, 21.1 percent.

Both teams were solid at the free throw line. LCSC was 10-of-11 for 90.9 percent, while Rocky was 17-of-18 for 94.4 percent. Rocky also had a 33-28 rebounding edge.
LCSC outscored Rocky 32-22 in the paint, and the Warrior bench outscored Rocky's bench 25-12.

"When you go on the road, you know it's going to be tough, but this team never loses its poise," Orr said. "They always seem to have that confidence that no matter what the situation is we are going to come out with the win."

The Warriors play host to Carroll at 5:30 p.m. next Saturday at the LCSC Activity Center. It will be senior night and LCSC's four seniors – Orlandi, Risinger, Spencer, and Brooke Litalien – will be honored.

Orr said the team will take a couple of days off early this week with just one game ahead, which Orr referred to as a redemption game because Carroll handed the Warriors their only loss this season.

LCSC will also play at home in the semifinal round of the conference tournament on Friday, March 3 at 7 p.m. Only the top six teams in the conference advance to the conference tournament and the top two seeds receive first-round byes. The first-round games will be played on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

A win in the semifinal round would mean LCSC would play host to the tournament championship game on Monday, March 6.

With the No. 4 ranking, LCSC is all but assured of a third trip to Billings this year as the NAIA national tournament will be played there on March 15-21. Rocky Mountain, as the tournament's host, receives an automatic berth to the tournament. The Bears currently sit sixth in the conference at 4-12 and are 12-16 overall.