LEWISTON, Idaho – Ninth-ranked Lewis-Clark State College held off visiting Bushnell University on Friday evening, 62-58, in Cascade Collegiate Conference women's basketball action.  
 
Head Coach Chad Meadors said, "That was a quality college basketball game. Our defense was spectacular all night long. We held three of their top scorers to way below their percentages. We were just tight offensively, struggled into turnover game and gave up too many opportunities. We just really had a hard time catching a break all night long, came out tight offensively to start the game and couldn't get the looks we wanted. We did settle down though and I'm proud of how hard we played."
 
After scoring just five points in the first quarter, Bushnell (15-7, 12-5 CCC) made their way back into the game, taking an eventual five-point lead at the end of the third. LC State (21-2, 16-1) outscored the Beacons 24-17 in the fourth and finished off the contest at the free throw line.
 
"LC State is a top-10 team in the nation and we are right there," added Meadors. "We need a few wins to back it up, but we have far from played our best game. I'm super excited about what we have going forward. Our anchor is certainly our defense and now we have to make some strides offensively."
 
Bella Pedrojetti led the Beacons with 23 points and nine rebounds, shooting 7-for-10 from beyond the arc. It is the fourth time in school history that a Beacon has hit seven 3-pointers in a game, tying her for second on the list for three-pointers in a single game.
 
"Bella played her best game as a Beacon," said Meadors. "She was outstanding on both sides of the floor, putting the ball in the basket and she played her best game defensively."
 
LC State got out to an 11-0 lead to start the game and ended the first quarter up 15-5, holding Bushnell to 2-of-11 shooting. The Beacons answered with a strong second quarter as Pedrojetti concluded a 12-2 run with her fourth three of the contest to tie the game at 20-20.
 
Aly Mirabile gave the Beacons a 36-34 lead, their first of the game, with a layup at the 02:51 mark in the third. Pedrojetti hit another three followed by a Libby Mathis layup to go up 41-36 with under a minute to go in the period. The Warriors made just two baskets in the quarter, a three from Callie Stevens to open and a layup to finish it off, with the remainder of their scoring coming at the free throw line.
 
LC opened the fourth on a 9-3 run to take back the lead, 47-44, near the six-minute mark. The Beacons trailed by two, 54-52, following a Mathis layup as the clock went under three minutes. A pair of free throws by Pedrojetti cut the deficit to 56-55 at 01:27 to play in regulation.
 
Ellie Sander forced in a layup to extend the Warrior advantage to three, but the Beacons answered with another three-pointer from Pedrojetti to tie the game at 58-58 with just over a minute to play. LC made two free throws to go back up by two, holding off a final attempt from the Beacons before sealing it at the line.  
 
LC State made 19-of-20 at the free throw line on the night.
 
Maddie Holm led the Warriors in scoring, recording 16 points. Sander added 13 points and four steals, while Stevens finished with 11 points.
 
Bushnell shot 36.1% from the field, including 10-of-25 from three, but was sent to the free throw line just three times, making 4-of-6. The Beacons finished with a 47-34 advantage in rebounding but committed 24 turnovers. The Warriors held the 21-8 lead in points off turnovers, while the Beacons had the 13-2 lead in second-chance points.
 
Kalina Rojas finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, shooting 7-of-13, as Rojas and Pedrojetti combined for 38 points on the night.
 
Bushnell takes on Walla Walla on Saturday at 7 p.m.