SPOKANE, Wash. – Darian Herring became the all-time leader in blocked shots at LC State on Sunday to highlight the final game of the Northwest Crossover Classic. It came down to the final possessions for the second consecutive game for LC State Women's Basketball, and it was Montana Western that had the clock on its side as the Bulldogs outlasted the Warriors 52-49 to close out the weekend.
Herring blocked four shots in the contest to pass Kirsi Voshell for the top spot with 236 in her career.
"A big congratulations to Darian on such a huge achievement," coach
Caelyn Orlandi said. "She has done a tremendous job of defending the paint for us. I'm so incredibly proud of her for this special achievement."
Montana Western controlled the first frame before the Warriors had the momentum on their side on the second. The lead changed hands throughout the second half before the Bulldogs gained the edge in the final minute.
"Our team defends tough and competes hard on the defensive end. Our defense has been good enough to win," Orlandi added. "We just need to score the ball more efficiently. We will make some adjustments next week and come back better."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Montana Western controlled the first quarter with a 15-9 advantage after 10 minutes, but a 12-point run by the Warriors in the second turned things around before halftime.
Tatum Brager got the offense going in the second frame with a triple before UMW grew its lead to 21-12 at 4:48. A jumper by Herring kickstarted the rally that was fueled by baskets from
Kendall Wallace, Brager, and
Kaylee Cordle to give LC State a 24-21 edge in the final minute. The Bulldogs scored once more before the buzzer to make it a one-point game, 24-23, at the break.
Wallace opened the second half with a triple, but Western answered to take a 28-27 lead.
Madalyn Green supplied a pair of baskets; Wallace hit a 3 and
Hali Anderson notched the first bucket of her career to continue the back-and-forth. Montana Western held a slim 41-39 lead with 10 minutes to play.
The Bulldogs grew their lead to seven points before Wallace and Cordle combined for five straight to cut the deficit to two points, 46-44, at 4:07. A 3 by Brager kept the score within two and Herring tied things up 49-49 at 2:03. Free throws by Montana Western in the final minute helped UMW outlast the Warriors 52-49.
STAT RECAP
Herring filled up the stat sheet on her historic night. Her four blocks give her 236 in her career just two games into the season. She ended the contest with seven rebounds, six points, three assists and two steals.
Wallace led the Warriors in scoring with 15 points on five 3-pointers, and Brager added 11 points with three triples.
Grace Beardin had a career night with a personal-best 10 rebounds and five steals, as did Green with her seven boards. Cordle finished the night with nine points and five rebounds.
LC State forced 18 turnovers with the help of 13 steals.
UP NEXT
The Warriors host the LC State Classic next weekend in the P1FCU Activity Center. Head to the
LC State Classic tournament page for the full schedule and link to tickets and live coverage.
Stay up to date with all things Warrior Athletics at lcwarriors.com and on social media @LCWarriors.
