By Ron Smith
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Women's Basketball (0-1), ranked number one in the NAIA, has added a game with Azusa Pacific (0-0) to its schedule. The game will be played this Saturday afternoon in Murchison Gymnasium with a tip-off at three o'clock.
 
This will be the 37th meeting between the two teams with the Cougars holding a 27-9 advantage. Over the last eight games, however, the Warriors have won five. Azusa Pacific won the last meeting on November 14, 2017 by a score of 72-57 in Azusa.
 
The game will serve as the home opener for the Warriors and the season opener for the Cougars, who are an NCAA Division II team and a member of the PacWest Conference.
 
The Cougars are coached by T.J. Hardeman, a Westmont alumnus who played for the Warriors from 1974-78. Hardeman brings a coaching record of 315-103 (.754) into his 13th season at the helm of the Cougars' program.
 
Westmont head coach Kirsten Moore is in her 16th season at Westmont where she has posted a record of 355-123 (.743). The Warriors were named the top-seed for the 2020 NAIA National Championship before the event was cancelled last March due to COVID-19 concerns. Returning eight players from last year's squad including All-American Iyree Jarrett, four starters and five All-GSAC players, Westmont has retained the number-one ranking this season.
 
Westmont has not played since it took the court on December 12 in an exhibition game at Long Beach State. Azusa Pacific will be the first team the Warriors face this year that is not an NCAA Division I team.
 
Due to COVID-19 regulations and precautions, fans will not be admitted to Saturday's game. The game will be available for viewing free of charge on the Westmont Sports Network at: https://athletics.westmont.edu/video.