WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
After a tough end to 2024, No. 13 LC State Women’s Basketball (10-2, 4-2) will open 2025 in Portland with Cascade Conference matchups at Multnomah (Ore.) (5-7, 3-3) and Warner Pacific (Ore.) (5-7, 2-4).
The two Portland schools faced off on Monday with Warner Pacific picking up an 82-80 victory in double overtime. WPU’s Emily Fortin led the contest with 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Amalya Sales and Skylar Groesbeck each scored 13 points, Alexa Mee grabbed 16 rebounds and Alex Saunders totaled 12 boards. Jersey Huerta and Gracie Browning both scored 21 points for the Lions and Browning grabbed an impressive 20 rebounds.
LC State opens the new calendar year at Multnomah on Friday at noon. The Warriors are 8-0 against the Lions dating back to 2015 and last faced Multnomah in February of 2024 with a 95-61 win in Lewiston. Tatum Brager was an offensive force in the contest with five 3-pointers on a 7-for-14 night from the field to total 19 points. Darian Herring notched a double-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and four assists and Ellie Sander had 14 points with five assists. Lindsey Wilson and Sitara Byrd each tallied 13 points in the game where LC State shot 54.5% and had 26 assists on 36 made baskets.
Multnomah’s Huerta leads the conference in scoring with 19.6 points per game and assists with 4.3 per game. Makayla Torkornoo is second in 3-pointers made per game (2.3)
The Warriors are 13-0 against WPU since 2005 and defeated the Knights 89-70 last season in Lewiston. Grace Beardin put together one of her best games with 15 points and Sander added 11. Byrd tallied 10 points and nine rebounds while Brager and Ella Nelson scored 10 points as well.
The Warriors lead the conference in scoring defense (53.8 points per game allowed), field goal percentage (.475), rebounding defense (33.4), blocked shots per game (4.8), assists per game (17.9), steals per game (13.8), turnover margin (8.50) and assist/turnover ratio (1.3). LC State ranks fifth in the NAIA scoring defense, fifth in field goal percentage and seventh in blocks per game.
Individually, Mataya Green is second in the CCC in field goal percentage (.590) and Herring is third (.546). Sander is third in steals per game (2.9) and Herring leads the Cascade in total blocked shots (35). Nationally, Herring ranks fifth in blocks per game (2.9).
