Westmont College Athletics

By Ron Smith
December 17, 2017
 
(OCEANSIDE, Calif.) Coaches do not like distractions, but in the case of the Westmont Women's Basketball game yesterday, there was no way to avoid it. As the Warriors prepared to battle the Firebirds of Saint Katherine University in Oceanside, firefighters were putting out flames on Westmont's campus in Montecito.
 
"It was really tough circumstances to play under today," said Westmont head coach Kirsten Moore. "I'm proud of our girls for coming out here and giving their all and doing some really great things on the basketball floor, but the immediacy of what is happening in Santa Barbara is at the forefront of our minds."
 
At the end of the day, all the news was good for Westmont. The Warriors (7-4) doused the Firebirds 85-22 and the firefighters extinguished a spot fire in the barranca between the baseball field and faculty housing, sparing the campus from any loss of structures.
 
"I'm really proud of my team and how we have come together today and stood together," said Moore. "However, today was not about basketball. Today was about us as a team and as a community. We were praying about people back home and praying for the firefighters and our campus."
 
Sophomore Maud Ranger and freshman Shelbie McKay sizzled from beyond the arc, with each making 50 percent of their three-point shots. Ranger hit five of 10 three-pointers and tallied 17 shots while McKay went four from eight for 12 points.
 
Freshman Cassidy Tiegs recorded 14 points for the Warriors going, six of 13 from the field including two of six. She also pulled down seven rounds. Tiegs also notched three steals, as did Lauren McCoy and Joy Krupa.
 
Senior Jae Ferrin scored on four of her six field goal attempts and was four of five from the field goal line to record 12 points. Ferrin also notched six points.
 
Westmont outrebounded the Firestorm 60-36, led by Krupa with eight, and McCoy and Tiegs with seven each. Seven Warriors tallied five or more rebounds.
 
Because of the continued threat to the Westmont campus from the Thomas Fire and the mandatory evacuation, Westmont canceled its game against Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) that was originally scheduled to be held in Murchison Gymnasium on Wednesday.