LEWISTON, Idaho – Late turnovers and clutching shooting from their opponent cost the (21) Lady Argos a chance at their first Frontier Conference title since 1985, losing to (14) Lewis-Clark State College 79-73. UGF was in their first finals since athletics restarted at the University of Great Falls and held the lead with a minute and a half left to go. 

"Our girls played really hard and I was proud of the way the battled," UGF head coach Bill Himmelberg said. "We just turned it over too much and had few too many defensive breakdowns at the wrong time."

UGF overcame a ten-point deficit in the second quarter to take their first lead of the game with three minutes remaining the third quarter off of Whitney George put back. The Lady Argos held on to that lead until the 3:24 mark in the fourth quarter when the game began to go back-and-forth.

Two three-point plays by junior Morgan Grier helped her team keep up with the Warriors and her free throw conversion of an and-one play gave UGF a 70-69 lead with 1:24 left to go.

A turnover on the next Great Falls possession led to a four-point LC State lead. Another converted three-point play, this time from senior Erin Legel brought the score back to within one with 30 second left, but the Warriors answered and finished with the 79-73 lead.

"Morgan and Erin made some great plays down the stretch but we couldn't get the stops to compliment those plays," Himmelberg said. "LC State has a great team and they made every shot that they needed."

If it weren't for Legel, the game may have been over in the first half. Playing in her last Frontier Conference game, the Lady Argo's all-time leading scorer was as offensive force, scoring 15 of her team's 34 first half points. She finished 27, her second highest total of the season, which led all scorers in the game and made her the highest scoring basketball player, men's or women's, in UGF history. She passed UGF legend Jack O'Connor who previously held the record with 2,223 career points.

"Erin has been a great big game player for us over the years and that continued tonight. She kept us in the game in the first half and we good for us down the stretch," Himmelberg said. "It's a special record for her to hold. Jack was a great player in the late '60s and early '70s and to break his record is a big deal."

Legel also finished team leading six assists. Her backcourt partner, Grier was the team's second leading scorer with 19 points off of 4 of 9 shooting from behind the arc. Junior center Whitney George was a force on offense and defense. She finished with her seventh double-double of the season scoring 10 points and grabbing 12 boards. The Frontier Conference blocks leader also added four more blocked shots to her total.

While the Frontier Conference season is now over, the Lady Argos are not done. As the 21st ranked team in the country and the regular season and tournament runners-up in the one of the toughest NAIA conferences, the team is expected to earn an at-large bit for the 2016 NAIA Women's Basketball Championships in Independence, Mo.

The NAIA selection show will air on the NAIA Network on Wednesday, March 9 at 4 p.m. MST. The Lady Argos made a run to the elite eight in last season's national tournament.