WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- After falling behind by 18 at halftime, the Lewis & Clark Pioneers surged in the second half in Friday's 61-48 loss to the No.6 Whitman Blues at Sherwood Athletic Center.

Delsie Johnson scored 10 of her 14 points in the second half, and Jamison Richards added nine over the final 20 minutes. Lewis & Clark outscored Whitman, 32-23, in the second half.

Whitman improved to 23-1 overall. The Pioneers do not qualify for the Northwest Conference tournament and fell to 11-13 overall this season.

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Key Moments

Whitman (15-0 NWC) opened the game with a 38-16 lead and outscored Lewis & Clark, 19-4, in the second quarter. Korin Baker led the Blues with 20 points.

Despite a better start in the third quarter -- Lewis & Clark scored 10 of the first 12 points in the quarter -- the Pios still trailed by 18 going to the fourth quarter.

In the fourth, the Pios closed to within 11 with 1:43 remaining on Laurel Marchant's 3-pointer. Elena Mchargue made a shot to extend the lead back to 13, and the Pios weren't able to get another bucket the rest of the way.

Deeper Look

• Marchant finished with seven on 3 of 4 shooting
• From the bench, Peyton Romo matched Johnson with a team-high seven rebounds
• The Pioneers (6-9 NWC) shot 28 percent from the floor and made 5 for 16 from 3-point range
• Charlotte Carroll scored three and had four rebounds

Looking Ahead

The Pioneers conclude the season on Saturday at Whitworth.