(Editor’s note: University of Providence media release)
LEWISTON, Idaho – Argo women’s basketball’s third-period comeback fell short as the No. 22 Lewis-Clark State Warriors broke away in the fourth period to secure a 71-57 victory over the Argos in the quarterfinals of the Frontier Conference playoffs on Tuesday evening.
University of Providence falls to 18-13 on the season, while the Lewis-Clark Warriors improved to 20-10.
Freshman Kenedy Cartwright led the Argos with a game-high 15 points, while also adding four rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Sophomores Emilee Maldonado and Parker Esary scored 14 points apiece, with Esary grabbing a team-high eight boards and Maldonado dishing out a team-high six assists, in addition to five rebounds in the loss.
Hailey Turner paved the way for the Warriors, netting 14 points, followed by Cali Moscrip and Jossilyn Blackman with 12 apiece. Turner collected a double-double on the night as she added a game-high 10 boards in the win.
The opening period was neck-and-neck. The Warriors took an opening 4-0 lead, but a pair of threes from Maldonado and Kerstyn Pimperton quickly gave the Argos the advantage, 6-4. Both squads would trade shots as the lead would change six times to a 12-11 Argo lead. Providence extended the lead to four following a three from Cartwright and a jumper from Tristan Murphy, but the Warriors would knot things at 17 and then at 19 to close out the period at a stalemate, 19-19.
The Warriors started to break away in the second period. Lewis-Clark scored eight unanswered points over the first two minutes of the period to take a 27-19 lead. The Warriors continued to lay it on as they would lead by double-digits with less than five minutes to play, 36-25. Providence rallied over the following minute and a half to cut the deficit to five, 38-33, but the Warriors would close the period on a 7-2 run to take a 10-point lead into the break.
The Warriors scored five unanswered points to open the period and extend their lead to 15 and maintain the advantage through the 5:50 mark of the period. However, the Argos took control over the last five and a half minutes of clock as they would score 11 unanswered points to cut the Warriors advantage to its lowest since the 9:20 mark of the second period, 54-50.
The Argos couldn’t find an answer over the final 10 minutes of the game as the Warriors would take things away in the final period. The Warriors extended their lead back to double-digits through the first half of the final period, 62-52. A 9-2 run would push the Warriors lead to a 17-point advantage with slightly less than two minutes to play, but the Argos would score three points to close out the game at its final, 71-57.
