Story Published: Mar 7, 2010 at 1:48 PM PST
Story Updated: Mar 7, 2010 at 1:48 PM PST
Led by 26 points from Jasmine Stohr and 20 points from Kirsi Voshell, Lewis-Clark State shot the ball well from inside and out but was particularly effective at the free throw line. The Warriors made a season-high 38 of their 43 attempts at the foul line with Stohr hitting 14-of-15, Voshell going 8-of-8, and Kenna Reiter going 4-of-4.
The Warriors used superb shooting to outscore Tech 23-8 over the last eight and a half minutes of the first half and held a 49-34 lead at halftime. In the second half, the Orediggers used a 61.9 percent shooting clip to cut the lead to six with six minutes to go, but the Warriors responded with four steals and multiple forced turnovers to secure the lead.
The win means the Warriors, now 27-5, will travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, next Tuesday and contend for their third-straight conference tournament title. Standing in their way is Westminster College which took the regular season title and boasts an overall record of 26-5. The Griffins advanced to the title game by narrowly defeating Carroll College 89-85 in overtime on Saturday. Tuesday’s tipoff will be at 6 p.m., Pacific.
The Warriors, ranked No. 13 in the NAIA, are 1-1 against the No. 9 Griffins this year and will look to pull off the same trick they did last season. In 2008-09, the Warriors lost the regular season title to the Griffins, but then bested them on the road 79-78 in overtime to take the tournament title.
Because of their rankings, both the Warriors and Griffins are in position to receive at-large berths to the national tournament regardless of Tuesday’s outcome. Montana Tech, now 19-9 and ranked just outside of the NAIA’s top 25, also has a shot at receiving one of the at-large bids.
Despite both teams playing smothering up-tempo defense, the LCSC-Tech square off ended up being quite an offensive highlight reel.
The Orediggers outshot LCSC 51.1 to 45.1 percent from the floor, but the Warriors owned the inside and outscored Tech 30-18 in the paint. The Warriors’ also did a better job of using their defensive pressure as an offensive weapon as they outscored their opponent 30-18 in points off of turnovers.
Stohr and Reiter came up with three steals apiece, while Alyssa Fierro had 16 points, a game-high nine rebounds, and two steals. Stohr’s 14 free throws rank as the third most made in a game in Warrior history.
Montana Tech, which committed 17 turnovers to the Warriors’ 10, had four players score in double digits. Jenessa Todd had 19 points and six rebounds, Dannii Devenny had 16 points, Jessie Depell had 14, and Brooke Porkorny had 10.
Todd was 7-of-8 from the floor, while Depell finished 9-of-10 at the foul line.
Madison Mendezona led the Warriors with seven assists, which ties the team’s season high. LCSC had 15 assists in the game, and Tech had 18.
Oddly enough, Saturday was the first conference game all season that the Warriors, ranked sixth in the nation in blocks, did not record a blocked shot.
