GREAT FALLS, Mont. - The No. 17 Lewis-Clark State women's basketball team put up a fight in the first half of the regular-season finale against the No. 23 Providence Argonauts, but a strong second half for the Argos proved too much for LC to overcome. Cali Moscrip went off, tying a career-high with 23 points, but the Warriors fell 78-66.
 
"Riding Cali's first-half performance, we started the game pretty well on offense," coach Brian Orr said. "Unfortunately, our defensive focus and effort wasn't good all night. Then in the second half we couldn't make shots and that lack of consistency has been a problem all year."
 
Hannah Burland gave LC their first lead of the game with a 3 a minute in to put the Warriors up 3-2. The Agros fought back to take an 11-8 lead before Hailey Turner and Moscrip hit back-to-back 3s, with Turner's sparking a 10-point Warrior run that had LC leading 18-11 with 4:14 remaining in the opening quarter.
 
The Argos rallied to take a 24-21 lead after the first 10 minutes.
 
In the second, the Warriors erased a nine-point deficit, taking the lead on a Moscrip 3-pointer 3:35. After the Argos responded, Peyton Souvenir found a clear path to the basket to even the contest at 38 each. A pair of foul shots Abbie Johnson put the Warriors in front 40-38.
 
LC led 42-40 at the half. In the opening half alone, Moscrip tallied 21 points including going 5-for-5 from 3-point territory.
 
Jossilyn Blackman made four-straight free throws to put the Warriors ahead 46-45, but UP surged back to take a 51-46 lead. They led 56-49 heading into the final frame after holding LC to seven points in the quarter.
 
The Argos grew their lead to 10 points with six minutes to play and continued to charge ahead. They went on to win 78-66.
 
Moscrip had a big night, tying her career-high with 23 points. She was 8-for-13 from the field including 5-for-8 from 3-point range while also dishing out seven assists. Blackman added 14 points while Turner and Johnson each grabbed six rebounds.
 
The Argos won the battle at the boards, out-rebounding the Warriors 41-23.
 
With the loss, the Warriors finish the regular season with a conference record of 9-9, 19-10 overall.
 
"You never want to end the regular season on a losing streak, but we need to put it behind us and get ready for tournament play," Orr said.
 
The Warriors claim the fourth seed in the Frontier Conference Tournament and will host the fifth-seeded Providence Argos in the Frontier Conference Quarterfinal on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Stay tuned to lcwarriors.com for more information on the Frontier Conference Tournament.