SALEM, Ore. – Lewis & Clark College women's basketball led the entire first quarter on the road against Northwest Conference Regular Season Champion Willamette University and were within two possessions for all but the last 45 seconds of the second quarter, but the Bearcats outscored the Pioneers 33-12 in the second half for the 71-43 win.    
 
THE BASICS
 
Willamette 71, Lewis & Clark 43
(Lewis & Clark 4-20, 2-14 NWC)
(Willamette 17-8, 14-2 NWC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Senior Karli Mukai and freshman Lauryn Frederickson led the Pioneers in double figures in the team's season finale. Mukai had a team-high 12 points with five rebounds, an assist and a steal. Frederickson had 11 points with seven rebounds and a steal. Mukai (4-4) and Frederickson (2-2) were the only Pios to shoot free throws against the Bearcats.
 
Charlotte Carroll was third on the team in scoring, with eight points, and tied Frederickson with seven rebounds.
 
Senior Jamison Richards (5 points) and freshmen Kaela Guidry (4 points) and Madilyn Palosi (3 points) rounded out the scoring for Lewis & Clark.
 
Natalie Elstone led the team with five assists and four steals. The senior added four rebounds in her final game.
 
Frederickson hit a three to open the game, then hit a layup with just over four minutes left in the first quarter to give the Pioneers an 11-4 lead. After Guidry hit a layup to make it 13-6 two minutes later, the Bearcats went on a 5-0 run to pull within two. Palosi hit a trey with a minute to go, pushing the lead back out to 16-11, but Willamette hit a layup to make it 16-13 after one.
 
Willamette tied the game at 16-all and 20-20 in the second quarter but was unable to take their first lead until the seven-minute mark. Richards made a three halfway through the quarter to regain the lead for Lewis & Clark, 29-27. The teams traded baskets until Mukai tied the game at 31-all with 2:19 left. The Bearcats closed out the quarter on a 7-0 run to lead 38-31 at halftime.
 
Lewis & Clark was held to just six points in the third quarter and six in the fourth as Willamette pulled away for the win.    
 
BY THE NUMBERS 

• Mukai finished her career with 717 career points and holds the program record for scoring 38 points at Whitworth on January 6 last year.   
• Carroll ends her time at Lewis & Clark with 745 career points and 516 rebounds. She averaged 10.1 ppg and 7.0 rpg in three seasons.
• Richards scored 673 points in 55 games and averaged 12.2 ppg over their career.
• Elstone led the Pioneers in her final season with 53 assists, was second on the team with 32 steals and third with 14 blocks.
• Frederickson led the team with 8.7 rebounds per game and 17 blocks in her rookie season.

WHO'S NEXT
 
Lewis & Clark graduates five seniors and  expects to return ten players next season.