Respect, tradition,
pride, work ethic, and
excellence. Take your
pick from that list
because all describe the
Lewis-Clark State
College women’s
basketball program.
The Warriors have had 17
straight seasons of
20-plus victories, made
12 trips to the NAIA
National Tournament in
the past 13 years, have
appeared in seven of the
last nine Frontier
Conference tournament
championship games, and
have won five conference
regular-season titles in
the nine years the
school has been a part
of the league.
The impressive list goes
on. The Warriors have
won the last three
regular-season and the
last two conference
tournament titles, have
been consistently ranked
in the NAIA Top 25, are
38-4 in conference play
over the last three
years, and 86-15 overall
during that time.
Such lofty figures have
become the norm for the
Warriors and coach Brian
Orr.
This season, the
Frontier Conference
coaches expect the same
of the Warriors as they
choose LCSC as the
favorite to win the
league title. That says
a lot considering LCSC
lost four starters, four
of its top five scorers,
and nearly 47 points and
22 rebounds a game from
a year ago.
“Right now there are so
many question marks,”
said Orr, who is
beginning his eighth
season at the Warrior
helm. “This year in
terms of evaluation we
have a later start (the
Frontier Conference
didn’t allow teams to
practice until a certain
date), we have a lot of
new players, and
whenever you lose the
leadership that we lost
there is going to be a
transitional period.”
Gone from last year’s
squad are Mandy Troutt,
who led the team in
scoring and rebounding,
all-everything guards
Jade Fulbright and Katie
Hart, who were both
four-year starters, and
forward Vanessa West,
who was fourth on the
team in scoring.
The Warriors do return
six players from a year
and added five new
faces, four of which are
freshmen. And there is
one thing that
definitely stands out
with the group,
according to Orr.
“We have so many
versatile players,” he
said. “We have players
who can play two or
three positions and fill
a variety of roles. And
all of our returners
have played and
contributed in big
games.”
Senior Sadie Short
(5-11, Touchet, Wash.)
is the lone returning
starter and was a solid
performer last year,
earning third-team NAIA
All-America honors along
with being a first-team
all-Frontier Conference
selection. She’s the
perfect example of the
team’s versatility
because she can play the
Nos. 2-4 positions (off
guard to forward).
She is joined by fellow
seniors Kim Preston
(5-9, Bellingham, Wash.)
and Lacie Titmus (6-2,
Orem, Utah). Preston is
in her fourth year of
the program and is one
of the team’s best
shooters, especially
from 3-point range.
Titmus averaged 7.0
points and 3.9 rebounds
last season.
The junior class has
Madison Mendezona (5-9,
Tualtin, Ore.) and Nikki
DePeel (5-6, Richland,
Wash.). Mendezona has
played almost
exclusively at the point
guard the past two
seasons, but will see
time at the two-guard spot
as well. DePeel, a
transfer from Columbia
Basin Community College,
is expected to be at the
point but could also see
time as the shooting
guard.
Kenna Reiter (5-9,
Central Point, Ore.) and
Nichole Miller (6-0,
Curlew, Wash.) return
for their sophomore
seasons. Reiter came on
strong at the end of
last season and will
play both guard
positions, while Miller
was slowed by an injury
last year.
The Warriors also have
four freshmen on the
roster – Tasha Bishop
(5-10, Meridian, Idaho),
Kirsi Voshell (6-3,
Pullman, Wash.), Jasmine
Stohr (6-0, Yakima,
Wash.) and Alyssa Fierro
(6-2, Bigfork, Mont.).
The four bring good size
and athleticism to the
program.
“This team has the
potential to be a
high-scoring team,” Orr
said. “We have people
who can create their own
shot and are good
shooters. And we have
real promise in the
post. The last few
seasons we were always
concerned about peaking
too soon, but this
year’s team has a high
ceiling to continue
improving every
practice, every game, in
every aspect all year
long.”
