LA GRANDE, Ore. – The No. 10 Warrior women defeated on the of strongest defenses in the Cascade Conference on Saturday with an 80-69 victory over (RV) Southern Oregon. The Raiders defeated LC State in last season’s CCC title game, so the Warriors got their revenge with Saturday’s win to advance to take on No. 12 Eastern Oregon on Tuesday. LC State will take on EOU in the Cascade Conference Women’s Basketball Championship, presented by U.S. Bank, at 5:30 p.m. in La Grande.
LC State wrapped up a dominant regular season as Cascade Conference Co-Champions and an automatic bid into the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship. LC State was awarded the No. 2 seed (via coin flip) in the CCC tournament. EOU lost the toss so took the top seed.
The two teams split the regular season and have identical records both overall and in conference play. The Warriors defeated EOU in Lewiston and fell in La Grande in overtime.
LC State has advanced to the CCC postseason tournament in all three years it has been a member.
NO. 2 SEED – Lewis-Clark State (28-2, 21-1)
The Warriors finished a nearly perfect conference season with the only loss coming to conference co-champion EOU in overtime. The only other blemish in the regular season was a season-opening loss to then-No. 2 Westmont. After game one, LC State won 19 straight for the fourth-longest winning streak in program history, including wins over then-No. 25 Rocky Mountain and then-No. 9 Carroll.
LC State has won its last nine contests. The Warriors defeated EOU 71-69 early in the conference schedule. Ellie Sander stepped up in the contest with 19 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Sara Muehlhausen added 12 points and three blocks, Hannah Broyles scored 10 points and Maddie Holm grabbed 10 rebounds.
The meeting in La Grande started with a 27-12 run by LC State, by the Mounties quickly caught up to force overtime before winning 85-79. Broyles led LC State with a career-high 24 points in the contest, Callie Stevens scored 14 and Sander added 12.
The Warriors lead the CCC and are second in the NAIA in field goal percentage defense (.327). They are the top team in the conference in blocked shots per game (4.1), steals per game (11.4), turnover margin (6.20), assist/turnover ratio (1.3) and 3-pointers made per game (7.9). LC is second in scoring offense (74.9), scoring defense (56.9), field goal percentage (.425), 3-point field goal percentage (.331), rebounding (43.0) and assists per game (16.5).
Stevens, the 2021-22 Cascade Conference Player of the Year, leads the team and is fourth in the CCC in scoring this season with 14.8 points per game. She is second in assists per game (3.8). Maddie Holm is fourth in the conference in rebounding (8.2). Ellie Sander leads the CCC in steals per game (2.3) and is sixth in field goal percentage (.498).
Hannah Broyles is eighth in the conference in scoring (13.0) and leads in 3-pointers made per game (2.9). Sara Muehlhausen is the second-best blocker in the CCC with 2.2 per game and tied her single-season career-high set last year at 65. Adyson Clabby leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio (3.6) and Stevens is second (2.7).
NO. 1 SEED – Eastern Oregon (28-2, 21-1)
The Mountaineers have kept pace with LC State all season long and hold the same record. Aside from the loss to the Warriors early in the season, the only other loss on their schedule was to then-No. 22 Montana Western. EOU has won 18 straight contests heading into the conference title game.
Eastern Oregon defeated Evergreen State 87-49 in the quarterfinal round of the tournament before ending Oregon Tech’s season in the semifinal by a score of 83-68. Beverly Slater posted a 20-point, 14-rebound double-double in the contest to lead the Mounties, Brie Holecek scored 15 points, and Bayley Brennan and Shaelie Burgess each added 12.
EOU leads the conference in scoring offense (78.1), scoring margin (18.1), field goal percentage (.455), 3-point field goal percentage (.363), rebounding (46.6), rebounding margin (15.3), assists per game (18.4) and is tied with LC in 3-pointers made per game (7.9).
Slater is second in the CCC in rebounding (9.8). Burgess leads the conference in field goal percentage (.533) and blocked shots per game (2.3). Brennan is the second-best 3-point shooter with a .433 percentage and Sailer Liefke is fifth (.386). Halle Wright is fifth in assists per game (3.1) and third in assist/turnover ratio (2.4).
THE DETAILS
EOU will host the title game on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in La Grande.
The live stream will be produced by EOU, and KOZE will have the game on the radio.
Stay up to date with all things Warriors Athletics at lcwarriors.com and on social media @LCWarriors.
PLAYERS MENTIONED
#3 Adyson Clabby
G 5′ 6″ Senior
#4 Ellie Sander
G 5′ 9″ Sophomore
#12 Sara Muehlhausen
P 6′ 3″ Senior
#14 Maddie Holm
F 5′ 10″ Junior
#21 Callie Stevens
G 5′ 6″ Junior
#30 Hannah Broyles
G 5′ 8″ Senior