The Lower Columbia Red Devils extended their dominant stretch in NWAC play with a convincing 75-53 road victory over the Pierce Raiders on Wednesday night.
The Red Devils (14-9, 8-1) flexed their defensive muscles early, limiting Pierce to just six points in the opening quarter and never looking back, building a lead that grew as large as 28 points in the fourth quarter.
Karlee VonMoos led the charge for Lower Columbia, putting together an efficient performance with 18 points on 9-for-14 shooting while pulling down seven rebounds and adding three assists.
Lisa Lorenz Conrotto was perfect from the field, scoring 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting, including a three-pointer, while chipping in four steals despite battling turnovers.
The backcourt duo of
Brooke Ravet and
Lauren Katyryniuk provided additional scoring punch, each contributing eight points, with Katyryniuk also dishing out five assists and collecting five rebounds along with three steals and a block.
Lower Columbia's defense was relentless throughout, forcing Pierce into 25 turnovers, 19 of which came via steals. The Devils turned those miscues into 21 points. Their defensive intensity was highlighted by contributions from
Morgan Hamilton, who swiped three steals and grabbed six rebounds, while
Reigha Niemeyer added four points, three assists, and two steals.
Despite the lopsided score, Pierce (2-22, 2-6) found a bright spot in the play of Lanissa Amacher, who led the Raiders with 16 points on 7-for-15 shooting while hauling in six rebounds. Leeschelle Sohappy also made her presence felt with 11 points, four steals, and four assists, but it wasn't enough to overcome Lower Columbia's balanced attack and suffocating defense.
The Red Devils shot 48.5% from the field (32-for-66) and out-rebounded the Raiders 43-29, including a 16-9 edge on the offensive glass. Lower Columbia's depth also proved critical, with the bench accounting for 22 points.
With the win, Lower Columbia continues to assert itself as a top contender in the NWAC, while Pierce searches for answers in what has been a challenging season.
The ladies are back at it on Saturday, February 15 on the home court vs the South Puget Sound Clippers. The 5:00 pm game is a big one for the Devils has they look to avenge their 65-60 loss to the Clippers at the start of league play. There is also playoff implications as the two teams battle for first in the NWAC west.
