Box Score
By Jordan Wyatt November 8, 2013 (SANTA BARBARA, Calif.)
In their home opener at what was a boisterous Murchison Gymnasium, Westmont Men's Basketball (1-1) downed NAIA opponent Southern Oregon (2-1) 80-64 to record their first win of the 2013-'14 season. The contest also proved to deliver a historical evening for Westmont head coach John Moore, who, with the win, secured his 400^th victory in his 21^st season at the helm of the Warriors. Moore now sits at 479 victories in totality and looks to further expand his success in his 26^th season as a head coach.


"It just means that I've been here a long time," joked Moore. "I've had a lot really good players, that's what it actually means. This was a special game, especially it being on (assistant coach) Jeff Azain's 50^th birthday. The guys and I wanted to play this one for him. We all really love him," continued Moore. Due in part to ferocious defense, precise screening on offense, and smart shot selection, the Warriors opened the game on a tear, quickly mounting a 17-4 lead. Senior forward C.J. Miller (24 points on 11 of 14 attempts, 6 rebounds) struck early and often, scoring 10 points from a wide array of floor spots in the first frame. Adding to Westmont's early success was Southern Oregon's foul count, a statistic that reached seven with 7:47 remaining in the first half. Unlike in their season opener at La Sierra, in which the Warriors shot a lackluster 17 for 31 (.548) from the line, the Warriors took advantage of their first half opportunities from the charity stripe. Senior forward Jason Ritchey (14 points, 8 rebounds) was especially efficient, converting on all four of his first half attempts.


Supplementing the fast starts of Miller and Ritchey was junior center Daniel Carlin (16 points on 8 of 11 attempts, 9 rebounds), who played the entirety of the first half. The 6-9 Aussie also scored at a torrid rate throughout the initial half of basketball, contributing 12 points and seven rebounds, helping build the Warriors' lead to 18 with three minutes remaining.  Well-timed three pointers from senior guard Brendan Hill (10 points, 7 assists) and junior guard Kyle Gordon (8 points) abetted Westmont's lead, thus preventing Raider runs and fortified a 46-29 score at the half. The Raiders came out of the half on a mission. Under the influence of senior guard Kyle Tedder's (3 steals) defense, Southern Oregon rattled off a 10-2 run over the first three minutes to cut the Warriors' advantage to single digits. Nevertheless, Carlin, Hill, Miller, and Ritchey would stifle the streak with valuable buckets, revamping the Westmont lead to 16 via a 55-39 score.


"I thought Brendan Hill did a phenomenal job of finding Daniel in easy spots throughout the game," commented Moore. "Daniel played with great confidence. He came very close to a double-double because of that edge." At the 12:29 mark, Westmont would push the lead to 20 when a put back dunk by Miller rocked the house, igniting Warrior fans. However, the Warriors' would go on to lose a huge cog just moments later when Ritchey would foul out with 10 minutes still on the board. In Ritchey's absence, Miller put the team on his back, adding baskets and rebounds to champion Westmont to victory. "C.J. was special tonight," admired Moore. "Even with limited minutes because of foul trouble, he was great for us. He had a very emphatic moment on his tip-in play, and that just shows great hustle." Westmont's lead would progress to 24 with five minutes left in the contest. Ultimately, the Warriors would finish with a 16 point differential as Moore called of the hounds and withdrew his staple players to a well-deserved ovation with two minutes remaining. The Warriors will attempt to grasp a winning record early on in the season as they square off with California State University, San Bernardino in San Bernardino this upcoming Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.