McMinnville, Ore. – Lewis & Clark College women's basketball held a one-point lead against host Linfield University after 30 minutes of play, but the Wildcats used a huge fourth quarter to come from behind and sweep the season series 58-45 Saturday evening.
 
THE BASICS
Linfield 58, Lewis & Clark 45 
(Lewis & Clark 2-21, 1-13 NWC)
(Linfield, 10-13, 6-8 NWC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Juniors Karli Mukai, Natalie Elstone, and Charlotte Carroll combined for 38 points, and the Pioneers had a season-high 19 steals against the Wildcats.
 
Lewis & Clark jumped out to an early 4-0 and used a solid defense to steal the ball seven times to take an 11-7 lead after the first quarter.  
 
In the second quarter, the Pioneers extended their lead to eight and led at the break for the first time this season. Mukai scored 11 of her team-high 17 points in the first half. Senior Gabby Beltran led the Pio defense with four of her career-high six steals before halftime.
 
The Pios took their largest lead in a conference game this season on a Mukai three, going up 26-16 early in the third quarter. Linfield worked their way back into the game, cutting the lead to 36-35 heading into the final ten minutes.
 
With three and a half minutes left in the game, the Pioneers led 45-44. The Wildcats scored 14 unanswered points to steal the win.
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Elstone scored ten of her 12 points in the second half. She made seven of the Pioneers' 12 free throws.
• Carroll, who hit the remaining free throws for the Pios, finished with nine points and a team-high six rebounds.
• Sophomore Piper Curry and Mukai each had four rebounds for Lewis & Clark. Mukai also had four steals.
• The 19 team steals are the most by a Pioneer women's team in the last decade. 

WHO'S NEXT
Lewis & Clark play their last road game at George Fox on Friday at 6 pm.