LA GRANDE, Ore. – Home-court advantage played a major role in Tuesday's title game of the Cascade Conference Women's Basketball Championship, presented by U.S. Bank. No. 12 Eastern Oregon used the energy of its home crowd to fuel a 75-59 victory over No. 10 LC State, but luckily the next time the Warriors take the floor this postseason it will be at home.
The Mounties controlled the pace of the play from the start to earn the CCC tournament title. EOU used a barrage of 3-pointers to overpower the Warriors.
"We all know that basketball is a game of makes," Head Coach Brian Orr said. "Give Eastern credit, they are a very talented basketball team who made a bunch more than we did. They pass the ball extremely well and they were making their 3s. That forced us to extend our defense and then they just dominated the offensive boards."
LC State now turns its focus to the 2022-23 NAIA Women's Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy. The Warriors will kick off the national tournament March 7 in the P1FCU Activity Center. Tickets are on sale now at lcwarriors.com.
"I know our girls are all disappointed in how we played," Orr said. "But we also know that we have a really good team and that is why we are hosting the first and second rounds next week. I am confident that we will bounce back with a great chance to get to Iowa."
Hannah Broyles drew first blood with a jumper on the first possession, then added a pair of free throws to give the Warriors a 4-3 edge a minute in. EOU struck for back-to-back baskets to pull ahead 8-4 by 7:15. Maddie Holm snapped a three-minute scoring draught with a jumper at the 6:03 mark, and a 3 by Broyles had LC within one, 10-9, at 5:11.
Free throws by Holm kept the score within one before Mataya Green tied things up 13-13 at 3:05. The Mounties rallied for seven straight points to pull ahead 20-13 in the final seconds of the first frame. Broyles nailed a triple just before the buzzer to cut the deficit to 20-16.
A 3-pointer by EOU was answered by a jumper by Sara Muehlhausen and layup by Callie Stevens, but the Mounties hit two more 3s to surge ahead 29-29 at 6:25.
Eastern Oregon continued to add on to its lead and increased the difference to double-digits, 33-22, by 4:02. The teams traded baskets throughout the remainder of the half and EOU took a 37-28 lead into the break.
The Mounties kept their momentum going in the second half with a quarter-opening 3. Holm hit a jumper, but another triple by EOU made the Warriors behind 43-30 in the first minute. By the end of the quarter the margin grew to 59-43.
EOU scored the first four points of the fourth frame before Holm snapped the run with a triple four minutes in. Ella Nelson added a three-point play shortly after, but the Mounties controlled the contest with the 75-59 final.
Holm notched a double-double with 13 points and 12 points, and Broyles added 12 points. Muehlhausen and Holm each blocked two shots, and Muehlhausen's pushed her season total to the second-best mark in a single season at LC State (67).
UP NEXT
LC State hosts the 2022-23 NAIA Women's Basketball Championship First and Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy, March 7-8. Qualifying teams will be announced March 2 at 4 p.m. PT.
Stay up to date on all things Warrior Athletics at lcwarriors.com or on social media @LCWarriors.
