Afterburners kick in; 61-point second-half explosion shoots Warrior
women past Fraser Valley
(Copyright of The Lewiston Morning Tribune)
MATT BANEY
At halftime, the Warriors were a team with a somewhat uneasy 10-point
lead and just eight active players. They probably felt fatigue yanking at
their jerseys, having toiled through 60 minutes of college basketball in
less than 24 hours.
So what was their strategy for the second half? Push it, push it, push it
-- and spend next week catching their breath.
With a 61-point explosion after halftime, the Lewis-Clark State women
warped their way to a 93-50 victory over Fraser Valley on Saturday night at
Warrior Gym. It was L-C's second shellacking of the visitors from British
Columbia in as many nights, and its fourth straight win overall.
This second-half dam break was a bit unexpected, since the Warriors shot
a chilly 37.5 percent in the first half. Plus, L-C's posts were in foul
trouble and its bench was as shallow as a mud puddle.
But in the half's opening minute, guard Jessica Foot made two steals and
fed freshman BreAnna Mulvey for breakaway layups both times. Those buckets
were the start of a 17-4 run within the first five minutes.
Unlike the opening period, when the Warriors (8-4) were content to
operate from their half-court offense, they spent the second half in
transition. Defensively, they hounded Fraser Valley's ballhandlers and
frequently dove into the passing lanes.
"We picked up our intensity," said Mulvey, who was starting her second
straight game for the injured Elpidia Valle. "We knew (the Cascades) were a
good team, so we needed to get out there and do our stuff. ... We picked up
our defense, and the offense came along."
L-C coach Brian Orr acknowledged that Fraser Valley had more bodies, and
therefore would seem better suited for an up-tempo game.
"At least we're sleeping in our own beds," the coach said. "Even though
we only had eight players, I think we had an advantage in terms of
freshness. So in the second half, our thing was, 'Let's go. Let's get out
and run and push it.' And when you can get just a couple easy baskets in
transition, I think it helps so much."
Those cheap Mulvey baskets seemed to thaw the Warriors' shooting stroke.
They converted 47.2 percent of their field goals -- not to mention half of
their 12 tries from 3-point range -- in the second half.
Kendra West made the lead 30 points with two free throws with 9:02 left.
And Ashley Baker chucked in a foul shot at 3:18 to pump the margin to 40.
LCSC, which has struggled with its defense this season, forced 29
turnovers from the Cascades in this game -- and a total of 65 in the
doubleheader.
But that doesn't mean that the Warriors will always succeed with pressure
tactics. Using those schemes over a full game doesn't seem to suit their
personnel.
"In certain areas, in terms of quickness, we're not real deep," Orr said.
"We've got quick players, but we don't have the depth there.
"I think this team is starting to play together better as a team on
defense," he added. "When we get the team defense concept down, we're going
to be pretty good."
Lewiston product Cami Kalbfleisch was one of six Warriors in double
figures with 19 points. Mulvey added 13 points and five assists, and Foot,
after an 0-for-6 first half, came up with 16 points, five steals, five
rebounds and a career-best nine assists.
Posts Baker and Elise de Groot, who were slowed by foul problems,
combined for 22 points and 14 rebounds.
NOTES -- Valle is suffering from back problems and will be examined on
Tuesday morning. Her status is uncertain. Post Leah McCauley, who injured
the MCL in her knee, could return in four to six weeks, Orr said. ...
Angelica Olivas, a 5-6 guard who was scheduled to join the Warriors at the
end of the fall semester, has withdrawn from school for "personal reasons,"
Orr said. So at its healthiest, L-C will suit up no more than 10 players the
rest of the season. ... On Saturday, it was announced that LCSC men's post
Adam Trombley was named the MVP of the Thrivent Shootout in Tacoma. Trombley
and teammate Joey Ray, who helped the Warriors to wins in that event
Thursday and Friday, were also named to the all-tournament team.
FRASER VALLEY (9-5)
Reid 1-7 0-0 2, Born 1-4 1-3 3, Minor 4-11 2-2 11, Alonzo 8-16 4-4 20,
Teister 1-5 2-4 4, Clifford 0-2 0-0 0, Garrigus 1-7 0-0 2, Hallinan 0-2 0-0
0, Macrae 1-5 0-1 2, Borsoi 1-1 0-0 2, Hunt 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 20-63 9-12 50.
LEWIS-CLARK STATE (8-4)
Kalbfleisch 5-12 6-6 19, Mulvey 4-11 4-4 13, Foot 4-13 6-10 16, Baker 4-9
8-11 16, West 4-13 2-3 11, Wittmer 4-5 0-0 10, de Groot 3-4 0-2 6, Morgan
1-1 0-0 2. Totals 29-68 26-35 93.
Halftime score -- LCSC 32, FV 22. Three-point goals -- FV 1-13 (Reid 0-2,
Minor 1-4, Clifford 0-2, Garrigus 0-3, Hallinan 0-1, Macrae 0-1); LCSC 9-24
(Kalbfleisch 3-6, Mulvey 1-4, Foot 2-10, West 1-2, Wittmer 2-2). Rebounds --
FV 44 (Teister, Macrae 9); LCSC 46 (Baker, West 9). Assists -- FV 13 (three
tied with 3); LCSC 16 (Foot 9). Total fouls -- FV 26; LCSC 16. Fouled out --
Alonzo. Technical fouls -- none.
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