LEWISTON, Idaho – The Seattle Pacific Falcons came out strong in the second game of the series between the NCAA DII program and the Lewis-Clark State Women’s Basketball team. A 22-8 first quarter put SPU in control early and the Warriors fell 72-63.
Kiara Burlage led the Warrior women with 25 points, including a 3-for-4 performance from behind the 3-point line.
“We came out flat and dug a hole after the first five minutes,” Head Coach Brian Orr said. “We played hard, but so did SPU.”
The Falcons jumped out to a 4-0 lead early in the first quarter before Peyton Souvenir put the Warriors on the board with a layup at 7:06. SPU widened the gap to 11-2 by 4:42, then 22-8 at the close of the first quarter.
LC State struck first in the second frame with a free throw by Abbie Johnson, and a 3-pointer by Jansen Edmiston cut the deficit to 10, 22-12, at 8:14. Souvenir and Maddie Holm went back-to-back to build momentum, and a pair of free throws by Johnson sparked a seven-point run to bring the Warriors within four, 30-26, with 1:27 left in the half.
Two foul shots by Burlage had LC State within four, 32-28, at the half.
SPU pulled away in the third quarter and led by as much as 15 in the final two minutes of the period. They led 56-42 heading into the fourth.
The Warrior women could not overcome the deficit and fell 72-63.
Burlage led all scorers with 25 points and grabbed a team-high eight boards. She was 8-for-13 from the field, 3-for-4 from 3-point range and 6-for-8 from the foul line. Edmiston added 13 points and two blocks, while Souvenir scored 11 points and dished out six assists.
“We struggled shooting and SPU shot extremely well the entire game,” Orr explained. “The road is tough, and the second game demands tremendous effort for 40 minutes. The good thing is this is the kind of road that makes you better. We know what we need to work on.”
Next on the schedule for the Warrior women is a trip to Billings, Mont. to take on MSU-Billings in a two-game set starting Jan. 29.