By Ron Smith
October 28, 2021
 
(BERKELEY, Calif.) Three Warriors scored in double figures and Sydney Brown pulled down 11 boards while putting up nine points as #1 Westmont Women's Basketball fell to Pac-12 opponent Cal Berkeley 81-62 in an exhibition game at Haas Pavilion. The final score was not indicative of the game. The Warriors held an eight-point lead at the half and were within one going into the fourth quarter.
 
"I am proud of the fact that no matter who we are playing, my team can walk on the floor, believe we can win and fight to win," said Westmont head coach Kirsten Moore. "They can do that no matter what we are up against. No matter what the height differential or what is 'supposed to happen'. The team has great belief in each other and our ability to do whatever it takes to win."
 
Stefanie Berberabe, last season's NAIA National Player of the Year, tallied 16 points and four assists to lead the Warriors in scoring. She made seven of 13 from the field and two of three from 3-point range. Laila Saenz, a red-shirt freshman, produced 12 points by draining four long-range baskets. Iyree Jarrett delivered 10 points and four assists. Sophomore Aleena Cook accounted for nine points and six rebounds.
 
"We recruited Laila knowing she could make an immediate impact for us," said the veteran coach. "Unfortunately, due to injury last year, she wasn't able to get on the court for us. I think we saw glimpses tonight of how huge a role she will have the ability to play for us. She has a great feel for the game, plays with a high IQ, can score at three levels, and defends too. I think she will keep developing as she gets experience, but she played like an experienced player tonight and not like it was her first time playing college basketball.
 
"I thought Aleena gave us great minutes. We saw a lot of great flashes from her.
 
"It can be easy to expect Stef and Iyree to be completely unbelievable. We just can't take for granted what they do for us all the time. They are unbelievable competitors, basketball players and leaders. They led with their voices as well tonight and I thought their leadership was great."
 
Westmont took a 5-0 lead to start the game on a 3-pointer and then a layup by Berberabe. The Warriors held onto the lead until Eveline Lutje Schipholt scored with 1:23 remaining in the first quarter to give the Bears an 18-17 advantage.
 
Berberabe responded with back-to-back buckets, putting Westmont on top by three. However, the Bears' Jayda Curry drained a 3-pointer to make the score 21-21 at the end of the first period.
 
At the start of the second frame, a layup by Cook and a jumper by Jarrett put Westmont up by four (25-21). Cal put together a mini run of 5-0 to reclaim the lead at 26-25, but it was the only lead of the second quarter that they would hold.
 
With 1:02 remaining before intermission, Saenz drained her third 3-point field goal of the quarter to give Westmont a nine-point lead (42-34).
 
Curry responded with a three of her own, but Cook finished off the first-half scoring with a jumper to give Westmont a 42-34 lead at the half.
 
In the third quarter, the Bears came out of hibernation and produced a 20-1 run that lasted nearly eight minutes, making the score 54-43 in favor of the NCAA Division I school.
 
Westmont rallied, however, in the final two minutes of the penultimate period, producing a 13-2 run to close within one (57-56). Jarrett connected for two 3-pointers during the resurgence while Berberabe and Cook each added a field goal. Brown capped off the run with a buzzer-beating three.
 
"In the first half, we came out and attacked and were aggressive," assessed Moore. "In the third quarter, after they made a big run on us, we made a run back. That continues to show the fight and spirit of this team.
 
Unfortunately, the Warriors were unable to keep the momentum going in the final frame and found themselves outscored 24-6.
 
"I am so proud of them," said Moore of her team, "but I feel that if we had been at full strength, we would have been able to maintain that level longer. Obviously, Cal stepped it up in the second half, but we ran out of steam."
 
The Warriors were without the services of Kaitlin Larson and Gabriella Stoll tonight, two noticeable absences in Westmont's inside game.
 
"We were exposed on the boards," acknowledged Moore. "Some of that was size advantage, but we have to find a way to be better at that. They scored 26 points off of second-chance opportunities and that ultimately cost us the game tonight."
 
Despite disappointment with the final score, Moore expressed excitement over the attitude and effort of her team.
 
"We play these games to challenge us to become better and I think we will become better because of tonight," predicted Moore. "I loved that we were in the locker room afterwards and we were not satisfied. My team was upset at how we played in the second half and didn't take advantage of the opportunity that we had in the second half the way we did in the first. I am proud of the Warrior fight that we have and that we showed. I'm excited to get our full team together and to keep building."
 
Westmont will remain in Northern California and open regular season play on Saturday afternoon with a non-conference game against UC Merced (1-1).