LEWISTON, Idaho – With five teams in the Frontier Conference ranked in the NAIA's Top 25, every game is a battle. This was evident in No. 21 Lewis-Clark State Women's Basketball's (18-8, 10-6) 71-63 loss to No. 16 Carroll College (18-9, 10-5) on Saturday night. Prior to the start of the game, LC State celebrated the team's lone senior, Jamie Nielson.
"We weren't good enough tonight," coach Brian Orr said. "I thought the first half our defense was just horrendous. The second half we played a lot better on both ends. Offensively we were better. Defensively we were better but we still were going in the wrong direction. They made some tough shots and they got us on the boards."
The game got off to a fast start, with Carroll taking a 5-4 lead in the first minute. The advantage grew to 13-6 by 6:15 in the first quarter. Jansen Edmiston brought LC within four with a 3-pointer at 5:08. Free throws from Kiara Burlage and a bucket by Abbie Johnson brought the Warriors within five at 22-17 to end the first frame.
The Fighting Saints grew their lead to 10 midway through the second quarter, but a basket by Nielson and a 3 by Peyton Souvenir had the Warriors trailing 38-32 at halftime.
Burlage brought LC State within two with a basket at 8:26 in the third quarter. Carroll pushed its lead back out to 10 by the five-minute mark. Hannah Burland found the basket with four seconds left in the frame to cut the deficit to 57-49 heading into the final 10 minutes.
Carroll kept a consistent lead over LC State through the final quarter, taking the contest 71-63.
Edmiston led the Warriors with 17 points after scoring 14 in the first half. Burlage added 16 points and 10 rebounds, Nielson had 11 points and Johnson chipped in 10. Edmiston and Souvenir each dished out six assists.
Carroll's Danielle Wagner led the game with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Christine Denny tallied 17 points and eight boards.
With the loss, the Warriors fall to third place in the Frontier Conference standings while Carroll takes sole possession of second.
The Warriors hit the road for the final two games of the regular season. They take on No. 24 Rocky Mountain in Billings, Mont., on Thursday before facing conference-leading No. 19 Montana Western in Dillon on Saturday.
