EUGENE, Ore. – The Bushnell women's basketball team erased a 19-point second-half deficit, but couldn't hold on late, falling to No. 21 Lewis-Clark State College in Cascade Collegiate Conference action on Friday night.
 
Bushnell (16-11, 13-6 CCC) shot 32% from the field and were volume shooters from deep, hitting nine triples on 41 attempts. LC State hit 40% from the field, out-rebounded the Beacons 52-48 and survived despite a 22-turnover night. The Warriors were led by sophomore Callie Stevens, who scored their first 15 points and had 22 in the first half.
 
"We sure had our opportunity tonight but we just didn't play well in the first half," said Head Coach Chad Meadors. "We know how good Stevens is and we gave her too many chances. We didn't communicate, she got lost and she made us pay. It was an uphill battle, and tough sledding for most of three and a half quarters, but we put on the press, Bella caught fire and we found some life. Unfortunately, we came up one play short."
 
The Warriors led 40-25 at the end of the first half and held their biggest lead at 44-25 three minutes into the third quarter. The Beacons made a ferocious rally, scoring 17 unanswered points to draw within two points.
 
LC State pulled back ahead by six points entering the fourth quarter, and were quickly back up by double-digits on a Sara Muehlhausen jumper with 8:45 to play.
 
Once again, the Beacons found a way, scoring ten straight points to tie the contest, 54-54 less than two minutes later. After a timeout, Aspen Slifka stole an in-bound pass and laid in her eighth point of the quarter to give Bushnell their first lead since the opening moments of the game.
 
The teams went on to battle through five lead changes over the final three minutes, the final of which going to the Warriors as Maddie Holm hit a three-pointer with 1:19 remaining. Holm scored again on the next LC State possession and with 13 seconds to play, the Warriors found themselves ahead by four, 67-63.
 
Bushnell called a timeout, and drew up a play that found Bella Pedrojetti in the corner for what would become her fifth three-pointer of the game, bringing the Beacons back within one points.
 
With six seconds to play Callie Stevens hit a pair of free throws and Bushnell was unable to get off a shot attempt on their final possession.
 
Bushnell was led by Pedrojetti, finishing the night with 17 points. Kalina Rojas finished with 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds while Morgan McKinney scored 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Bushnell had five blocked shots in the game, three from Libby Mathis and two from Aspen Slifka.
 
Stevens was the big story for the Warriors as she scored the first 15 points and had 22 points at halftime. She finished with a career-high tying 30 points. Holm and Ellie Sander added 11 points apiece.  
 
The win helped keep LC State in a first-place tie with Southern Oregon with three games remaining in the regular season.
 
Bushnell will play their final regular season home game on Saturday night, taking on Walla Walla University at 7:00 pm. Bushnell will honor seniors Ariana Fuselier, Alyssa Kuskie, Claire Salness, and McKinney in a pre-game ceremony.