Big 4th Quarter Leads Red Devils Over Hawks 65-50 to Reach Final Four

PASCO, Wash. — Lower Columbia used a big fourth quarter to defeat Columbia Basin 65-50 and advance to the Final Four in Game 10 of the 2026 NWAC Women's Basketball Championship, presented by ICCU, on Saturday at CBC's Holden Court.

With the game tied 40-40 heading to the final quarter, the Red Devils broke out for 25 points in the last 10 minutes to knock off the No. 3 seeded Hawks. Lower Columbia connected on 10 of their 28 made field goals in the fourth quarter alone. The Red Devils played a clean defensive game, limiting CBC to 33 percent shooting from the floor while not giving up a single free throw all game.

The first quarter began with Shailoh Li'ili'i scoring a jumper for the Red Devils to open the game. The Hawks responded with a 3-pointer by Amber Swan, assisted by Sadie Tanner, to take an early lead. LCC regained momentum with a fastbreak layup by Angelica Askey at 5:02, putting them ahead. Despite Nekha Roehl's strong performance, including a layup at 3:15, the Red Devils maintained their lead, with Jaci Gonnie's layup at 1:26 extending their advantage to three points. Hailey Jamison scored a jumper at the buzzer, narrowing the gap to 15-14 at the end of the quarter.

Columbia Basin maintained a narrow lead over LCC during the second quarter, fueled by key plays from Roehl and Ezrah Ray. Roehl's layup at 8:11, assisted by Ray, was one of several plays that helped the Hawks to a two-point quarter advantage. LCC responded with Li'ili'i's layup at 7:47, briefly reclaiming the lead. However, Jamison's 3-pointer at 6:54 extended the Hawks' lead to three points. Despite an aggressive push by the Red Devils, including a fast-break layup by Askey with just 30 seconds remaining, the Hawks held a 29-28 edge going into the half.

In the third quarter, CBC initially extended its lead to five points with 7:58 remaining, highlighted by a layup from Jamison and a jumper from Roehl. LCC responded with Adrian Wright's jumper at 7:04, bringing the score to 33-30. A pivotal moment came when Li'ili'i's layup, assisted by Wright, tied the game at 33 with 4:28 on the clock. The Hawks regained a slight edge with a 3-pointer from Jamison, but Wright's 3-pointer, assisted by Askey, leveled the score at 40-40 with 1:52 left. The quarter ended with both teams locked in at 40, as neither side could find the basket in the final minute.

The Red Devils dominated the fourth quarter, scoring 25 points to the Hawks' 10, securing a decisive victory. Wright was instrumental, contributing with multiple layups, including one at 9:48 that initiated the scoring for the quarter and another at 4:31, assisted by Gonnie. Askey added to the lead with a 3-pointer at 5:51 and two free throws at 1:04.

Askey stood out for the Red Devils with a game-high 17 points along with an impressive seven steals. Li'ili'i was a force on the boards, collecting 10 rebounds while contributing 16 points, making 8 of 15 shots. Wright also had a strong performance, scoring 16 points and adding nine rebound.

Jamison had a strong game for the Hawks, leading the team with 16 points. Roehl added 11 points, five rebounds and three assists. Swan matched Roehl's scoring with 11 points and excelled defensively with three steals and six total rebounds. Ray dominated the boards, grabbing 16 rebounds.

The Red Devils advance to the NWAC Final Four for the first time since 2022 when they won the championship that year. They will take on Clackamas in the semifinals next Friday, March 13 at 5 p.m. The Hawks complete a great season with a 21-8 overall record, taking third place in the East Region.