LCSC completes Frontier Conference play undefeated

 2-24-07 

LEWISTON, Idaho – Seniors Ashley Baker scored 20 points and Janeen Nelson added 17 to help the Lewis-Clark State College women’s basketball team wrap up Frontier Conference play undefeated for the first time in seven years with an 82-50 win over Rocky Mountain College at the LCSC Activity Center on Saturday night. 

The Warriors, ranked No. 2 in the NAIA, finish the regular season at 28-1, including a 14-0 mark in the conference. The Warriors will take a 20-game win streak into the conference tournament, which opens Wednesday in Butte, Mont. The last time a team finished FC women’s play undefeated was the 1999-2000 LCSC squad, which went 12-0 that year. 

Baker, one of five seniors making their final home appearance, hit 9-of-16 shots and added seven rebounds. Nelson added a 7-of-10 effort from the field and had a game-high four steals. 
(Junior, guard Katie Hart during the first half against Rocky)

The Warriors used hot shooting in the first half and pressure defense, which forced 34 turnovers in the game, to stop Rocky Mountain. LCSC hit 19 of 28 shots from the field in the opening 20 minutes for a 67.9 percent shooting touch, which enabled the Warriors to open up a 47-24 halftime advantage. 

For the game, LCSC hit 34 of 63 shots, 54 percent. The Warriors also collected 21 steals and 23 assists. 

Jade Fulbright added nine points, six assists and three steals, while Mandy Troutt also had nine points. Katya Yancheva had seven rebounds and four steals, while Katie Hart added three steals and four assists. 

Alysa Brown led Rocky Mountain, 9-21 overall and 3-11 in league play, with 16 points. Jenna Sawyer added seven steals. 

LCSC is the top seed in the conference tournament and will open against the No. 8 seed, Great Falls, which went winless in league play, on Wednesday at 5 p.m., Pacific Time. The other first-round pairings have No. 2 seed Montana Western against No. 7 seed Rocky Mountain on Wednesday at 1 p.m.; No. 3 seed Carroll against No. 6 seed Montana Tech on Thursday at 1 p.m.; and No. 4 seed Westminster versus No. 5 seed Montana State-Northern at 5 p.m. on Thursday. The semifinals will be Friday and the championship game is at 4 p.m. on Saturday.