GREAT FALLS, Mont. – After holding its opponent to 43 points in its two previous games, the Lewis-Clark State College women’s basketball team held the University of Great Falls to an even lower total on Saturday night. The Warriors pressured the Argos into shooting 25 percent from the field and rolled to a lopsided 75-41 win.
Led by 17 points from Nikki DePeel and 13 from Jasmine Stohr, the Warriors did most of their damage in the early minutes of both halves as they outscored Great Falls 27-2 in the first 13 minutes of the first half, and 19-1 in the first eight minutes of the second.
The win lifts LCSC, currently ranked No. 11 in the NAIA, to 22-3 overall and keeps them tied with Westminster College for first in the Frontier Conference standing. Lewis-Clark State and Westminster, which narrowly defeated Montana State University-Northern 59-57 on Saturday, are both 8-1 in conference play and hold a three game lead over Carroll College and Rocky Mountain which are tied for third.
LCSC forced 21 turnovers in the game and scored 25 points off of those turnovers to go with their 32-18 advantage in points scored in the paint. LCSC shot 43 percent from the field and received scoring from multiple players including 28 points from off the bench.
The first half set the tone for the game as LCSC wreaked havoc on defense and then overpowered the Argos in the paint on offense. Forcing 10 turnovers and collecting four steals and three blocks, the Warriors kept Great Falls scoreless from about two minutes into the game until the 5:50 mark. The Argos shot 17.9 percent in the half.
Alyssa Fierro helped LCSC to a 43-25 rebounding advantage as she brought down a game-high 11 rebounds to go with her seven points and two blocks. Kirsi Voshell added nine points, seven rebounds, and three blocks.
DePeel reached her game-high scoring total by going 6-for-8 from the field including a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the 3-point line.
Great Falls, which is now 3-18 overall and 0-9 in the conference, was led by Kassie Holmlund who had 12 points and four rebounds. Post player Stasia Holden collected nine rebounds and six points.
If final scores are any reflection on the progress of a team, it would appear that the Warriors are getting better and better. Saturday’s 34-point mismatch marked the third meeting between the two squads this season and the largest margin of victory. LCSC defeated UGF 76-54 in a non-conference game in December and 78-50 in January.
The Warriors will be back in the Activity Center next week for their final home stand of the regular season. They’ll play Montana Tech on Thursday and then face Montana Western on Saturday. LCSC will be looking to avenge a 69-61 loss to Montana Tech earlier this season—the Warriors’ only conference loss so far. Both games will start at 6 p.m.
