Box Score                                                                                                                         

By Kaci Mexico
December 28, 2016

After 11 days without a game, fourth ranked Westmont Women's Basketball (10-1) did not skip a beat and defeated the Goshen Thunderbirds of Indiana (8-7) by a score of 86-34.

 "I thought our starting group really set the tone and did their job so that everybody could get in," said head coach Kirsten Moore. "Our bench played a lot more than our starters did tonight and I think that was really good experience for them.

"There were some really good highlights off the bench with Joy Krupa who is an incredible athlete and rebounder," continued Moore. "She plays really hard and makes so much happen with her hustle and athleticism – she had 16 rebounds, ten points, four assists, and four blocks – pretty great."

Along with Krupa, Coach Moore also pointed to Lauren McCoy and Kayla Sato as key contributors in tonight's game.

"McCoy only  played 15 minutes but scored 16 points, eight rebounds and a couple of blocks –just super-efficient in the minutes she was in," said Moore. "She was really dialed in and was really good tonight."

"Sato has really stepped up her game and I think we are seeing what she is capable of doing as far as an all-around player," continued Moore. "She was just a point away from a triple-double last game and then tonight she led us in scoring with 22 points (as well as going four for four from the three-point line), had six rebounds, five assists and four steals. She is playing super well-balanced."

Aimee Brakken also scored in the double-digits with ten points on the night.

The Warriors' most significant scoring streak was a 20-2 run that occurred within the first six minutes of the game. McCoy had two free throws and a layup; Sato had a layup and two three-pointers; and Brakken had a jump shot and two three-pointers.

Moore continued to reflect on her team's performance and was specifically pleased with their defensive and rebounding efforts.

"The fact that we were able to hold them to single digits in most quarters really showed a good focus on our team's end defensively," said Moore. The Warriors held the Thunderbirds to seven points in the first quarter, eight in the second, seven in the third, and 12 in the fourth."

"We also did a great job on the boards," continued Moore. "To get 46 rebounds in a game when we shot as well as we did [33-63 with a 52.4 field goal percentage] is a real testament to our effort and focus as we continue to work on the boards."

Beginning tomorrow, the Warriors will host the Holiday Classic featuring Southwestern College, British Columbia, and The Master's. On Thursday December 29 British Columbia will play The Master's at 1:00 p.m., and then Westmont will play Southwestern at 5:30 p.m. The following day on Friday December 30, Southwestern will play the Master's at 1:00, and then Westmont will face British Columbia at 5:30 p.m.

"This is a tough stretch for us with three games in three days, so we are looking to be able to recover quickly and still bring another great effort tomorrow," concluded Moore.