Box Score
Despite trailing most of the first half, #5 Westmont Men's Basketball posted its ninth win in a row with an 87-77 Golden State Athletic Conference win over reigning NAIA national champion Concordia (13-8, 2-5 GSAC). The Warriors improved to 19-3 overall and 7-0 in conference play and completed a historic night for Westmont men's and women's basketball.


With the women's 84-51 win earlier in the evening, Westmont the two programs went undefeated in the month of January – a combined 17-0. Also, it is believed to be the first time in GSAC history that both the men's and women's teams from the same school were undefeated in conference games at the end of the first round of GSAC play.


"It is a momentum that is created by a lot of little things," reflected Westmont head coach John Moore regarding the accomplishment. "It all starts with a college president who cares a lot about athletics. Dr. (Gayle) Beebe came and spoke to our team today and said that he appreciates how many of the parents come to the games. The Beebe's celebrated their daughter Anna's birthday and then came to the game to celebrate Westmont Basketball. It starts with a guy like Gayle Beebe who believes that athletics is transformative. "Then there is (athletic director) Dave Odell," continued Moore. "The kind of success we are having in our men's and women's basketball program is attributable to Dave's passion about Westmont Athletics and his willingness to strive for excellence. He really wants our teams to go from good to great. "We are just trying to follow the women," said Moore of his program. "I think Kristen and her staff are doing a magnificent job with this team. They are relentless in their preparation and we are trying to be more like that." Down 41-36 at halftime, John Moore's team outplayed the Eagles 51-36 in the second half. "We became more aggressive and played with much greater activity," said Moore. "I thought we were a little intimidated in the first half while they played with passion and energy. In the second half we played with greater anticipation and very little fear. Our press and fast break made a big difference in the second half. "I met with both our captains after our shoot around and said, 'This is a game where you can lead and the two of you are guarding their two best players - Tim Harris and Dakota Downs.' Cooper (Damron) brought a lot more energy to the game playing against Downs and ended up with a double-double (23 points, 11 rebounds). "Lost in the perception of Preston Branson's game, often times, is his ability to defend. Harris was three for 12 (from the floor) and one for seven from the three-point line. Preston had a lot to do with that. This was a captain's win. "It was also a Marcus Farrand win," noted Moore. "He only had six minutes, but the way he practiced yesterday put us in a position to be prepared for Concordia. His six minutes included a lay-up to tie the game and sealing off a player to allow Mantas (Drungys) to go baseline and get a dunk to put us up by two. He was an unsung hero, carrying over what he did in practice into the game today. In my 25 years of coaching he is one of my favorite team players. He is incredibly unselfish."


Down by five with just under 12 minutes to play, Drungys drained a three-pointer to start a 9-0 run. That was followed by Farrand's layup and Drungys' dunk. Damron then scored on a layup to put the Warriors up 60-56 with ten minutes to play. Over the next four minutes, the Warriors would outscore Concordia 12-4 to take control of the game. Jordan Sachs helped seal the game for the Warriors from the free throw line. He posted 22 points in the game, making 15 of 17 from the charity stripe. He also pulled down six boards, dished off three assists and collected three steals. In 12 minutes of play, Drungys scored 12 points and tallied six rebounds.
In other GSAC action, #12 Hope International (21-2, 6-1) edged out host San Diego Christian (5-11, 2-5) by a score of 62-60. Twenty-fifth ranked Arizona Christian (14-5, 4-3) picked up a 74-66 overtime win at Biola (12-11, 2-5) and


Vanguard (14-8, 3-4) defeated the visiting Mustangs of The Master's (13-9, 2-5) by a margin of 81-70. Westmont will begin the second half of the GSAC tour by traveling to San Diego Christian on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. [box score]