| LEWISTON, Idaho – The No. 8 LC State Warriors trailed by as much as 13 in the 2023-24 Cascade Conference opener on Thursday, but clutch plays throughout the lineup lifted the Warrior women over Northwest University by a score of 79-71. Maddie Holm notched a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and four other Warriors scored in double-digits. The Warriors outrebounded Northwest 39-27 and forced 19 turnovers with 14 steals. “Our team is going to continue to get better and that is what this is all about. We have a really high ceiling and I am excited to watch us grow all season long,” Head Coach Caelyn Orlandi said. “We started off the game flat and didn’t start with great intensity, but fought hard in the second half to turn the game around. There were many positives today and I thought Ellie Sander came up with some big steals and timely baskets when we needed them most.” With the win, LC State is 5-1 on the season and 1-0 in CCC action. HOW IT HAPPENED Ellie Sander had two steals in the first minute of the contest before draining a 3-pointer to put the Warriors on the board. Northwest jumped out to an 10-3 lead by 7:15, but a triple by Ella Nelson at 5:55 kept the score within four. The Eagles stretched the difference to 21-8 by 2:23 and closed out the first quarter with a 21-9 advantage. The Warriors turned things around in the second quarter. The margin was quickly erased with a 13-0 run by LC State to give the Warriors a 22-21 lead. Maddie Holm scored seven points in the run, Callie Stevens had four and Sitara Byrd added two. A back-and-forth ensued with Sander and Holm adding layups to keep the Warriors ahead by a slim 26-23 margin, and triples by Stevens and Nelson had the score at 32-28 with two minutes to play in the half. Tatum Brager hit a 3-pointer to cancel out a final 3 by Northwest to send LC into the break with a 36-35 advantage. Northwest came out of halftime with the momentum and a 16-6 run through the first five minutes. Nelson, Holm and Mataya Green fought for three straight baskets to cut the deficit to 51-48 at 2:29, and layups by Sander and Darian Herring made it a one-point game with 30 seconds left in the quarter. Northwest’s Maya DuChesne hit a triple in the closing seconds, and Payton Hymas answered with one of her own but the Eagles led 56-55 heading into the final 10 minutes. Sander opened the fourth frame with five straight points and Nelson made it seven in a row with a basket to put the Warriors in front 62-56 after 60 seconds. An and-one play by Sander extended the run to 10 points before a triple by Northwest’s Kyrin Baklund ended the rally. The Eagles continued to put pressure on LC State with the teams going basket-for-basket. Herring took a steal back to the basket to make it 73-70 Warriors with 1:39 to play and Stevens pushed the difference to five a minute later. Byrd and Stevens took advantage of a pair of free throws to close out the contest with LC in front 79-71. Sander and Holm each scored 15 points and Holm added 12 rebounds to complete a double-double. Byrd and Stevens each scored 13 and Nelson added 10. Herring was tough on defense with nine boards and five blocks. Holm dished five assists and Sander had four steals. “Ella Nelson was great off the bench and gave us big time minutes,” Orlandi added. “For her first collegiate start, Darian was tough on the boards and had some great blocks. Maddie Holm’s double-double demonstrates just how tough she always is. I was very proud of the way we shared the basketball tonight and 23 assists on 30 made baskets is great offense. We have a quick turnaround to prepare for tomorrow against Evergreen and I am looking forward to our team starting the game tomorrow with great intensity.” UP NEXT The Warriors continue Cascade Conference play on Dec. 1 against Evergreen State (Wash.). Tipoff is set for noon in the P1FCU Activity Center. Stay up to date with all things Warrior Athletics at lcwarriors.com and on social media @LCWarriors. | 
