LEWISTON, Idaho -- With a one-point lead in the fourth quarter and six seconds on the clock, University of Providence's Emilee Maldonado blocked out all the noise in the Lewis-Clark State gym to sink two free throws and seal a Frontier Conference women's basketball championship for the Argos by a score of 69-66 on Tuesday.
The Argos opened the game with a five-point lead, but at about the eight-minute mark in the first quarter, the Warriors came alive. Lewis-Clark State sliced and diced the Argos' defense to go on a 17-4 run that started and ended with Jamie Nielsen scoring five of her 12 total points on the night.
The Argos got four points to end the quarter and cut the Warriors' lead to just five points, and the second quarter was the Jenna Randich show. Randich knocked down four 3-pointers for 12 of her 15 points on the night and helped the Argos to a 32-26 lead at halftime.
In the fourth quarter, the Argos built a lead of 61-50, but the Warriors found their second wind later in the quarter. Jansen Edmiston put home five of her game-high 21 points, and, with seven seconds left in the game, Peyton Souvenir knocked down a 3-pointer to get the Warriors within one point. But the damage was done, and the Argos are the Frontier Conference champions and will snag an automatic berth into the NAIA national tournament.
Maldonado led the Argos with with 17 points on the night, while Bailey Cartwright added a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds.
