“It was way too big of a hole against a team like this,” said LCSC head coach Brian Orr. “You have to credit Westminster. Their defense really took us out of our offense.”
The Warriors, rushed and smothered by one of the top defenses in the nation, missed their first 14 shots from the floor. The Griffins, which ranked No. 6 in scoring defense (allowing opponents around 50 points a game), held LCSC to a 17.9 percent shooting clip in the first half.
Lewis-Clark State made its first shot from the floor at the 8:24 mark of the first half and went on to cut the lead to 32-16 by halftime. The Warriors shot 42.9 percent from the floor during the second half and matched the Griffins shot for shot, but it simply was not enough.
“It seemed like everything we tried to run they had a good plan for. We’ve got to do a better job of moving the ball and sharing it.”
Westminster has now won five straight and leads the Frontier Conference with a 2-0 league mark and a 13-2 record overall.
The Griffins were led by senior guard Nicole Yazzie who had 19 points and eight assists. Allie Eastman and Kelsi Wells had 12 and 11 points, respectively, and Cydney Tibbits led the game with nine rebounds.
“They’re so experienced and so poised,” said Orr about the Griffins. “Yazzie does a tremendous job. She’s such a great leader.”
LCSC (3-14), which was outshot 42.4 percent to 28.6 percent overall, was led by Tanis Fuller’s 12 points and Ornela Bacchini’s nine points and five rebounds.
“We lack confidence right now, but we’re not going to give up. We’re not going to rollover.”
On Saturday, the Warriors will face another league foe in Montana Western. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m., and the game is scheduled as Poster Night. Fans in attendance will receive a free Warrior poster and will have a chance to have it signed by the players after the game.
