The Lewis & Clark women's basketball team fell to the Whitman Missionaries on Friday night in Northwest Conference action. The Missionaries earned an 88-72 win, handing the Pioneers their first loss of the season.
The Pioneers, who are ranked fifth in the nation, are now 11-1 on the season and 2-1 in NWC action. The Missionaries improve to 10-1 overall and 3-0 in the conference.
Senior Kristina Williams led the Pioneers with 24 points and seven rebounds. Classmate Sara Villanueva finished the night with 17 points, hitting 11-of-12 from the free throw line. Katie Anderson scored 13 points for the Pios, while Tayler Wang ended the night with 11.
Sarah Anderegg led all players with 32 points for the Missionaries, while teammate Tiffani Traver knocked down 16 points. Meghan White finished with a game-high 12 boards.
The first half was a duel, with both sides keeping it close. The Missionaries pulled ahead at the end of the half to take a 35-32 advantage into the locker room.
Whitman continued to knock down shots in the second half, starting on an 8-0 run. Williams hit the first shot of the half for the Pioneers, but the team would never be able to capture the lead, trailing the rest of the way.
The Pioneers return to action on Saturday, Jan. 5 at 4 p.m. when they host the Whitworth Pirates.