LEWISTON, ID – The senior duo of Payton Hymas and Sitara Byrd put together some of the best performances of their stellar careers on Friday to lift fourth-seeded LC State over 13th-seeded Hope International (Calif.) in the NAIA First Round. The Warriors will face fifth-seeded Montana Tech on Saturday in the NAIA Second Round with a trip to the final site of the 2026 NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship on the line.
Hymas scored a career-high 25 points in the contest and Byrd grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds. The pair led LC State to a big second half to break a halftime tie and advance the Warriors in the tournament.
“I was proud of our team today,” coach Caelyn Orlandi said. “They made big plays and got stops when they needed to. We had some great individual performances as well and every player on the court was impactful today. We always love postseason wins and get to enjoy this one, but a quick turnaround to face another tough opponent tomorrow. Congratulations to Hope International for being at the national tournament and having a great season. Every team at the tournament has earned their spot at being here and Hope most definitely did.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
Hope International’s Nicole Chuang put together a big first quarter with six 3-pointers. Her offensive boost had the Royals in front 22-16 after 10 minutes.
Freshman Madalyn Green was a spark off the bench with a pair of clutch baskets and combined with Byrd and Grace Beardin to a six-point run to tie the game 28-28 at 5:08 in the second frame. Hymas kept the score knotted 30-30 at 3:19, and back-to-back buckets by Darian Herring and Beardin tied things up 34-34 at the half.
HIU pulled in front 38-34 to start the third frame, but 3-pointers from Tatum Brager and Hymas got the LC State offense going. The triple by Hymas sparked an 11-2 run, fueled by tallies from Byrd and Herring, to give the Warriors a 48-42 edge at 6:41. Kendall Wallace added a pair of 3s before Green added a layup for a 56-48 margin ahead of the final quarter.
Wallace knocked down a 3-pointer, Hymas converted two free throws and Herring added a layup for a 66-53 cushion with 3:18 to play. Hymas drained six free throws in the final two minutes and Byrd added two to seal the victory.
STAT RECAP
Hymas led all scorers with her career-high 25 points and Byrd was the top defender in the contest with her career-best 15 rebounds. She completed a double-double with 14 points and dished out five assists. Hymas went 8-for-10 from the free throw line and snagged six steals.
“Sitara Byrd was so incredibly tough today,” Orlandi added. “Her 15 rebounds were remarkable, her 14 points were earned and her passing today was excellent. Payton Hymas was so strong on her drives today, finished well at the basket, knocked down free throws and defended so well. The senior toughness they showed today was top notch and I was so proud of both of them tonight. They left it all on the court.”
Herring collected 11 boards and Beardin grabbed a career-high nine. Wallace added nine points, all on 3-pointers, and Green scored a career-best eight points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field. Brager tallied two impactful 3-pointers.
“Kendall Wallace and Tatum Brager both had timely baskets for us and had great minutes,” Orlandi said. “Grace Beardin rebounded the ball so well and played with great composure.”
LC State shot 41.8% from the field and held Hope International to 39.3%. The Warriors outrebounded HIU 45-32 and forced 21 turnovers with the help of 12 steals.
