LONGVIEW, WA – Despite excellent offensive performances from Adrian Wright and Shailoh Li'ili'i, the Lower Columbia College women's basketball team couldn't sustain a halftime lead Tuesday night, falling in a tough 84-77 battle against visiting Clackamas Community College at Myklebust Gymnasium.
In front of a home crowd of 364, the Red Devils (3-1) were engaged in a back-and-forth affair for the first twenty minutes. LCC utilized a balanced attack and controlled the boards early, taking a slim 39-37 advantage into the locker room at the break.
However, the game turned dramatically in the third quarter. Clackamas came out of halftime firing on all cylinders, erupting for 30 points in the period. The Cougars capitalized on hot shooting from deep and a dominant interior performance from Alana Washington to swing the momentum, outscoring LCC 30-22 in the frame to take a 67-61 lead heading into the fourth.
The Red Devils showed resilience down the stretch, fighting to claw back into the game. LCC managed to cut the deficit to just three points on two separate occasions late in the game. A three-pointer by Angelica Askey brought the Devils within 78-74 with 2:23 remaining, and shortly after, an Adrian Wright triple made it a one-possession game at 80-77 with 1:43 left on the clock.
Clackamas responded with a crucial three-pointer from Mollie Miller with 1:12 remaining to push the lead back to six. LCC was unable to convert on opportunities in the final minute, hampered by a tough night at the free-throw line where they shot just 50% (7-for-14) for the game.
Despite the loss, several Red Devils posted standout numbers. Adrian Wright filled the stat sheet with 20 points, a game-high six assists, and five rebounds. Shailoh Li'ili'i also dropped 20 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting night, adding five boards and two blocks. Angelica Askey just missed a double-double, finishing with 16 points and a team-leading nine rebounds.
While LCC won the rebounding battle 35-32, they were outpaced from beyond the arc, with Clackamas draining nine three-pointers to Lower Columbia's four.
Clackamas was led by Alana Washington's game-high 27 points.
Devils have some time off for the Holiday before hitting the road for the Pirate Classic tournament in Port Angeles, WA., Dec. 5 - 7th. LCC kicks it off with a 4:00 pm tip vs Bellevue at Peninsula College.
