By: Sam Knehans, Communications & Sports Information Intern

FRANKFORT, Ky.  – (Box Score) No. 4 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) punched its ticket to the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship second round with an 85-79 win over No. 5 Wayland Baptist (Texas) in the Franklin Convention Center.

With the win, the Lewis-Clark State (27-5) has now advanced to the second round in each of their last four national championship appearances (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014). Wayland Baptist (20-12) has not won a national championship game since 2003, when it advanced to the quarterfinals.

The game featured nine ties, the last coming with 15:22 remaining in the second half, 50-50. Then Lewis-Clark State rattled off a 23-5 run, giving the Warriors their largest lead of the game at 18 points with 6:59 to go in the contest. Despite sharp shooting from the Flying Queens from beyond the arc in the final minutes, the Warriors never let Wayland Baptist back into the game.

Lewis-Clark State freshman guard Caelyn Orlandi led all scorers with 25 points on 8-of-18 shooting (44.4 percent) from the field and 37.5 percent shooting (3-of-8) from 3-point range. Orlandi was joined by junior guards Brittaney Niebergall, 14 points, and Tanis Fuller, 11 points, in double-figures.

Senior guards Stephanie Afunugo (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Christie Mooney (10 points, 10 rebounds) recorded double-doubles in the losing effort, as Wayland Baptist out-rebounded Lewis-Clark State, 57-41.

The Warriors consistently got to the free throw line despite losing the battle of the boards, going 30-of-34 from the charity stripe (88.2 percent). Free throws would prove to be the difference, as the Warriors (39.0, 30.0) and Flying Queens (33.7, 30.8) shot similar percentages from the field and from beyond the arc.

With the loss, Wayland Baptist is eliminated in the first round of the national championship for the third-straight time (2004, 2009) and ends its season with a 20-12 record.