BUTTE, Mont. - After needing a 3-point shot at the buzzer to defeat the University of Great Falls in the opening round of last season's Frontier Conference women's basketball tournament, Lewis-Clark State made sure it wouldn't be in that situation again on Wednesday.

 

Again matched against the Argos in the No. 1 vs. No 8 seed matchup, the Warriors used a strong defensive effort to make short work of Great Falls with an 81-44 triumph.

 

The win lifts LCSC into Friday's 5 p.m., PDT semifinal against the winner of Thursday's contest between Montana State-Northern and Montana Western. In the other first-round game on Wednesday, No. 2 seed Carroll defeated No. 7 Montana Tech 71-58.

 

LCSC, 25-4 overall, jumped out to a 9-0 lead and a 33-16 advantage at halftime. The Warrior defense kept the pressure on in the second half and rolled to their third easy win over the Argonauts, who finish the season at 12-19. LCSC beat UGF by 28 and 31 during the regular season.

 

Wednesday's contest followed the story line of the previous two. The Warriors' defense was just too much for Great Falls. In the first half alone, UGF was just 5-of-27 from the field for 18.5 percent accuracy. It also had 12 turnovers and its top scorer, Laura Keaster, was held scoreless from the field and had just four points.

 

LCSC, which is second in the NAIA in scoring margin with an average margin of victory of 24.2 points, continued to motor in the second half and finished with four players in double figures. Jade Fulbright, who on Tuesday was named the Frontier Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season, paced the Warriors with 15 points, while Kim Preston had 14 off the bench. Sadie Short had 12 points, while Mandy Troutt had 10.

 

All 10 LCSC players scored at least two points in the game and the Warrior bench combined for 34 points.

 

The Warriors won their third straight conference regular season title last week and fifth overall, and will be trying to get back to the tournament championship game for the seventh time in the last nine years with a win on Friday.  LCSC, however, hasn't won the conference tournament since 2001.

 

The Warriors are already assured of their 12th trip to the NAIA national tournament in the last 13 years, based on their No. 10 ranking in the final NAIA poll, which came out Wednesday. The 32-team features 15 at-large berths, based on the poll, which means the top 15 teams in the poll are guaranteed berths to Jackson, Tenn., for the tournament.