By Ron Smith
February 12, 2019
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Freshman guard Krissy Miyahara came off the bench to provide the spark #15 Westmont Women's Basketball (19-7) needed and to lead the Warriors to an 89-35 win over the Flames of Bethesda (4-25).
 
Miyahara, who hails from San Jose, where she attended Archbishop Mitty High School, drained eight three-pointers out of 12 attempts to record a game-high and career-high 24 points. She also snagged five rebounds and dished off four assists.
 
The Warriors started the first quarter a bit sluggish, committing a turnover and missing their first three shots while falling behind 4-0. A layup by Sydney Brown (14 points, 5 rebounds) put the Warriors on the board before Bethesda's Sydney Gray (21 points, 16 rebounds) connected on a jumper to make the score 6-2.
 
The Warriors scored the next six points on a layup and two free throws by Iyree Jarrett (7 points, 6 assists) and another layup by Brown, taking an 8-6 lead with 3:19 remaining in the opening frame. The Flames' Tatiana Lee (7 points, 5 assists) scored on a jumper in the paint to tie the game at eight.
 
With 1:21 to play in the first quarter, Miyahara entered the game. Just 17 seconds later, she took and drained her first three, giving Westmont an 11-8 lead. On the Warriors' next possession, she struck again to put the Warriors up 14-10 at the end of first period.
 
In the second quarter, Miyahara picked up where she left off, draining her third three-pointer to give Westmont a 17-10 advantage. She would add another long-range bucket before the halftime horn sounded.
 
The Warriors outscored the Flames 23-7 in the second quarter as their offense kicked in to hyperdrive. After shooting 27.8 percent in the first quarter, Westmont shot 50.0 percent in the second, 60.0 percent in the third and 56.3 percent in the fourth.
 
In the third quarter, Westmont outscored Bethesda 26-6 to take control of the game. By the end of the penultimate period, The Warriors held a 40-point lead (63-23). Miyahara did not attempt a shot in the third quarter but the Warriors went three of seven from beyond the arc with Jarrett, junior guard Maud Ranger and sophomore guard Taylor Rarick all connecting from downtown. Rarick would end the night with a trio of three-pointers to tally nine points.
 
In the fourth quarter alone, Miyahara went four of five from beyond the arc, helping the Warriors outscore the Flames 26-12.
 
On the season, MIyahara is shooting 45.9 percent from three-point range (26 of 62), which is the best in the Golden State Athletic Conference.
 
 Saturday, Westmont will return to GSAC play by hosting #5 The Master's (22-4, 14-1) as part of a men's and women's doubleheader. The women are scheduled to tip-off at 5:30 p.m. with the men following at 7:30 p.m.