| KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The No. 11 Warrior women opened the postseason with a thrilling victory over College of Idaho on Tuesday and will battle No. 22 Oregon Tech on Tuesday in the semifinal round of the Cascade Conference Women’s Basketball Championship, presented by U.S. Bank.
The Warriors split with OIT during the regular season with a victory at home and a loss in the final weekend of the regular season on the road. Oregon Tech is the No. 2 seed in the tournament but finished with the same conference record as third-seeded LC State (19-3).
No. 3 Seed – No. 6 LC State Warriors (24-4, 19-3)
The Warriors and Owls split the regular season. LC State took the contest in Lewiston 88-71 while OIT won in Klamath Falls 76-61.
Five Warriors scored in double-digits in the victory, led by 17 from Callie Stevens. Tatum Brager scored 15 and 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point range and Sitara Byrd scored 14. Olivia Sprague led OIT with 25 points and Gabbie Gascon added 21.
Byrd led LC State in Klamath Falls with 16 points and Stevens totaled 15. Mataya Green supplied the rebounds with nine. Sprague led the contest with 22 points and Kennedy Alexis Elquist had 10 boards.
LC State leads the CCC in scoring average with 76.4 points per game. The Warriors are also the top Cascade Conference team in scoring margin (17.0), field goal percentage (.465), 3-point field goal percentage (.349), assists per game (18.1), steals per game (11.6), turnover margin (4.82) and assist/turnover rate (1.4). LC State has been one of the best offensive teams and ball-handling teams all season.
At the national level, the Warriors rank seventh in the NAIA in field goal percentage and sixth in assists per game.
Lindsey Wilson leads the conference in field goal percentage (.570). Ellie Sander leads in assist/turnover ratio (2.0), is second in assists per game (3.9) and 3-point percentage (.397), fourth in field goal percentage (.511), and fifth in steals per game (2.3). Stevens is fourth in the CCC in scoring average with 17.2 points per game and third in 3-pointers made per game (2.8) and assist/turnover ratio (1.8). Byrd is fourth in steals per game (2.3).
No. 2 Seed – No. 22 Oregon Tech Owls (26-3, 19-3)
Oregon Tech has been one of the top teams in the CCC all season long, thanks in part to leading scorer Sprague. The Owls boast one of the best all-around teams in the conference and have gone toe-to-toe with the Warriors in each matchup.
OIT leads the CCC in field goal percentage defense (.350), rebounding (44.6) and rebounding margin (12.6).
Sprague is one of the biggest scoring threats in the CCC and ranks third with 17.5 points per game. She is fifth in assists per game (3.5), fourth in free throw percentage (.876), sixth in steals per game (2.1), fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (.393) and seventh in 3-pointers made per game (2.0).
Gascon ranks fourth in assists per game (3.7), third in free throw percentage (.885) and fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.7).
THE REST OF THE FIELD
Top-seeded No. 18 Southern Oregon will host fourth-seeded Eastern Oregon. The winner of each contest will advance to the CCC tournament title game on Monday.
THE DETAILS
Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. on Friday in the Klamath Falls. The contest will be streamed by Oregon Tech.
Stay up to date with all things Warrior Athletics at lcwarriors.com and on social media @LCWarriors. |
