LEWISTON, Idaho. ­– Shooting nearly 71 percent from the field in the final three quarters, the Lewis-Clark State College women's basketball team completed a remarkable regular season with a 69-58 Frontier Conference victory over Carroll College on Saturday night.
 
The victory helped the Warriors set the program record for regular season wins at 29 and also helped the team avenge its only loss of the season. The last time these two teams met Carroll snapped LCSC's 23-game win streak, the second-longest in program history, with a 64-57 win in Helena, Mont.
 
LCSC, ranked No. 4 in the NAIA, finishes the regular season at 29-1, including a 17-1 mark in conference play.
 
"This is a special team, no doubt about it," LCSC coach Brian Orr said of the record.
 
The Warriors now advance to the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed and will receive a first-round bye. The conference tournament opens Tuesday with No. 6 seed Rocky Mountain playing at No. 3 seed Montana Western, and No. 5 seed Carroll playing at No. 4 seed Montana Tech.
 
LCSC will play host to a semifinal contest next Friday, March 2, at 7 p.m. at the LCSC Activity Center. If Rocky Mountain wins Tuesday, LCSC would play host to the Battlin' Bears. Otherwise, LCSC will play the Carroll-Montana Tech winner.  A win there and LCSC would play at home in the championship game on Monday, March 5.
 
Tickets for all playoff games will go on sale Monday at the LCSC ticket office (208-792-2471). They will also be available the night of the game. General admission seats are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and students. Reserved seats are $10 and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. LCSC students who enter through the student gate with their LCSC ID will be admitted free.
 
Saturday's win also marked LCSC's best conference record since the 2007-08 season, when it went 13-1.  It also was the 399^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.
 
During Saturday's contest, LCSC went 3-of-16 from the field in the first quarter and trailed 14-6. After that, the Warriors hit 22-of-31 shots for 71 percent accuracy and outscored the Saints 63-44 over the final 30 minutes.
Obviously, whenever you can win, play the way we did in the second half, and come out with a win on Senior Night it always feels good," Orr said.  "I was really proud of the way we dug in the second half and got some stops."
 
The Warriors held Carroll to 23-of-54 shooting from the field, 42.6 percent, and 5-of-17 at the 3-point line, 29.4 percent. In the second half, Carroll was 11-of-29 from the field, 37.9 percent.
 
"We probably played as much man in this game as we have all year," Orr said of the LCSC defense.
 
The Warriors were led by Brittany Tackett's 19 points, while Brooke Litalien and Jossilyn Blackman added 13 apiece. Blackman led the Warriors with six rebounds, while Caelyn Orlandi added six points and six assists.
 
The Warriors are all but assured of their 14^th trip to the NAIA national tournament under Orr. The conference tournament champion earns an automatic berth to the tournament, which will be held in Billings, Mont., on March 15-21. Even if LCSC doesn't win the conference tournament, there are 17 at-large berths to nationals available and they are awarded based on the final NAIA ranking. LCSC would earn one of the at-large berths as long as it is ranked in the final Top 25 poll.
 
Prior to Saturday's contest, the Warriors honored their four seniors – Orlandi, Megan Risinger, Litalien, and Natahnee Spencer.
 
"I was thinking about it before the game and talking about the seniors and the impact they have had and what they have gone through during their careers, and I started to get choked up," Orr said. This is such a great group. They have been all about the team from day 1. They have been such good leader and such good players. they all bring something different to the team.
"The (win record) is just another mark in their legacy. They have done a lot for this program."