LEWISTON, Idaho – The Warrior women (14-3, 8-3) picked up a big victory in the P1FCU Activity Center on Saturday with a 63-59 win over Bushnell University. The Beacons currently sit in front of LC State in the Cascade Conference rankings, meaning tonight's victory brings the Warriors closer to the top.
The Warriors came out of the gates hot and took a 21-12 lead in the first quarter, but the score was tied 41-41 heading into the final 10 minutes. LC picked up the momentum it needed to wrap up the victory in the fourth by outscoring Bushnell 22-18.
Callie Stevens stepped up for the Warrior women with 10 points in the frame.
"This was a hard-fought win," Head Coach
Brian Orr said. "You have to give Bushnell a lot of credit. Their defense was very aggressive and disrupted our offensive flow all game. We did a good job of attacking the basket but missed several easy shots, but when it came down to crunch time, a couple people stepped up and made big plays and we were able to find a way to win."
Bushnell opened the contest with the first four points, but a layup by
Sara Muehlhausen got things rolling for LC and sparked a seven-point run that was capped by a 3 from
Hannah Broyles. After a Beacon basket,
Maddie Holm answered with a triple of her own to grow the LC lead to 10-6 at 6:10. Broyles and Stevens went back-to-back from 3-point land to end the first quarter.
The Beacons stepped on the gas in the second frame and used multiple short bursts to bring the score within two, 31-29, by the end of the half. Bushnell rallied again in the third, taking the lead on two occasions, before a layup by Broyles evened the score 41-41 heading into the last quarter.
Back-to-back baskets by Muehlhausen gave the Warriors a lead they'd hold for the rest of the game, making it a 49-44 LC advantage with 8:22 to play. Holm sparked an eight-point rally down the stretch that featured five points from Stevens, and the game ended with another five from Stevens and a 3-pointer by Broyles to send LC on to its 63-59 victory.
Stevens led all scorers with 20 points in the contest; her third straight game of at least 20 points. Broyles added 17 points with a career-best seven field goals and five rebounds, and Holm led the defense with 10 boards. Stevens and
Adyson Clabby each dealt three assists and Muehlhausen blocked three shots.
The Warrior defense held the Beacons to just 25 percent from 3-point range and only sent them to the free throw line for four shots.
Morgan McKinney led Bushnell in scoring with 13 points, and Kalina Rojas had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
LC State hits the road next weekend to take on Evergreen State on Jan. 21 and Northwest on Jan. 22. Links to streaming and live stats can be found at lcwarriors.com.
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