Westmont College Athletics

By Ron Smith
November 23, 2019
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Women's Basketball (4-1), won two games as host of the Best Western Plus Carpinteria Classic. The Warriors, ranked eighth in the NAIA, defeated #6 Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) on Friday night by a score of 78-71. Then on Saturday, Westmont survived a double-overtime thriller with an 82-76 win over #10 Antelope Valley.
 
"Over the course of this weekend, to win two games over high-level competition, is so impressive for this group," said Westmont head coach Kirsten Moore.
 
"I am super proud of my team's fight, their focus and the resolve they played with," said head coach Kirsten Moore after the team's win on Friday.
 
Senior guard Maud Ranger drained 22 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead the Warriors in both categories. It marked the first double-double of her collegiate career.
 
"Tonight, Maud was unbelievable," said Moore. "In the first half, we were playing a four-guard line-up. She was basically our other post player out there. She got 10 rebounds in the first half against a phenomenal rebounding and very athletic team. She was all over the place and was shooting with confidence. At one point, she was five for six from three. She set the tone as a senior."
 
Sophomore post player Kaitlin Larson added 13 points and seven rebounds while junior guard Lauren Tsuneishi notched 12 points and six rebounds.
 
The game was closely contested throughout the first half with neither team holding double-digit advantage. Bringing a slight 34-32 lead into the third quarter, the Warriors scored the first nine points on back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers by Larson, Ranger and Tsuneishi.
 
However, the Saints battled back to come within two (52-50) with 4:40 remaining in the penultimate period. The Warriors responded by closing out the quarter on a 10-5 run, including threes by Tsuneishi and Iyree Jarrett (9 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists), to go ahead 62-55.
 
The Warriors maintained the hard-won separation in the fourth quarter, never leading by less that the seven-point advantage that they brought into the final frame.
 
Saturday's game was a bit more of a seesaw affair as the Warriors and Pioneers appeared to claim different quarters as their own.
 
"I think that the heart and will of this team is extraordinary, and they showed it on the court tonight," said Moore. "Three minutes into the game, Iyree went down. Everybody stepped up and outlasted a really good team."
 
Both teams started slow. In fact, there was no scoring until more than four minutes into the game. At the end of the opening frame, however, the Pioneers held a 12-8 lead.
 
In the second quarter, Westmont prevailed outscoring Antelope Valley 21-16 to take a one-point advantage (29-28) into the halftime locker room.
 
Antelope Valley triumphed in the third quarter, holding Westmont to eight points for the second time in the game while scoring 22 of its own.
 
"At the end of the third quarter, I told them they had a choice to make," reported Moore. "Either they could choose to be fighters and fight to the end, or it could go the other way. We had no momentum at the time, but the team came together and stepped up even more and fought even more."
 
The Warriors outscored the Pioneers 24-11 in the fourth, resulting in a 61-61 score at the end of regulation.
 
In the first overtime period, Westmont overcame missing its first six free throw attempts to keep even with the Pioneers at 69 and forcing a second extra session.
 
In the second overtime, Larson and Ranger connected for two free throws apiece to put the Warriors on top 73-69. After a pair of free throws by Ashley Del Rio brought Antelope Valley to within two, Larson scored on a layup to put Westmont ahead 75-71.
 
Stefanie Berberabe added to Westmont's lead with a layup of her own, but was matched by Antelope Valley's Asia Young, making the score 77-73 with 1:45 showing on the clock.
 
After another free throw by Larson, Young drained two more with just under a minute left to make the score 78-75. On the Warriors' next possession, Tsuneishi was left alone on the left side and drained a three to put Westmont on top 81-75 with 30 seconds to play. The only remaining scoring was a free throw on each side to account for the final score.
 
Berberabe led the Warriors in scoring with 27 points, 13 of which came from the charity stripe.
 
"Stefanie showed her grit and toughness, playing through muscle cramps in her leg," noted Moor. "After her first cramp, she came back and made a steal that completely changed the game. We don't even get to overtime without that toughness moment. There were so many moments. Every single player had a moment like that tonight."
 
Larson added 18 while Krissy Miyahara nailed four three points to add 12. Ranger tallied eight points and a career-high 15 rebounds.
 
"Maud is a fearless, senior leader – 13 rebounds last night, 15 tonight," said Moore. "The toughness it takes to do that at her size and as a guard who is suddenly thrown into a post position – she is rebounding better than most posts."
 
The Warriors will be back in action the day after Thanksgiving when they compete in the Rotary Classic in Jackson, Tennessee. On Friday, the Warriors will take on #11 Shawnee State (Ohio). Then on Saturday, Westmont will match up with #2 Campbellsville (Ky.).