Box Score By Ron Smith
February 24, 2022
 
(SANTA CLARITA, Calif.) With a 66-57 semifinal win over the Oaks of Menlo, second-ranked Westmont Women's Basketball (25-3) has advanced to tomorrow night's Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament championship game.
 
Following her triple-double in last night's quarterfinal win, Stefanie Berberabe tallied 20 points, 7 rebounds and four assists to lead the Warriors offensively. Iyree Jarrett and Laila Saenz each added 11 points with Jarrett dishing off five assists.
 
The Warriors survived a tough, physical game in which neither team held a double-digit lead after the first quarter.
 
"I think Menlo played great tonight," noted Westmont head coach Kirsten Moore. "We made some gutsy plays down the stretch but also got a lot of stops in the last five minutes. We really turned up our defense. I was proud of Kaitlin Larson and Destiny Okonkwo down the stretch, defensively, and of Iyree for taking a charge. Making those defensive plays put us in a position to win that game.
 
"Obviously, we had to make tough shots too. Laila's three was so clutch and Stef and Iyree attacked with confidence and made plays happen. We had to work hard for it, but I am proud of my team and excited to have a chance to play for a championship again."
 
The Warriors have won the last five GSAC Tournament Championships.
 
Down 4-3 early in the game, Westmont constructed a 17-4 run to go up 20-8, which proved to be the largest lead by either team. Berberabe tallied eight points during the run, Larson tallied three and two each came from Sydney Brown, Gabriella Stoll and Aleena Cook.
 
In the second quarter, the scrappy Oaks battled back and at 3:33 on the clock took a 32-31 lead on a 3-pointer by Jordyn Rosette. Westmont responded with a three from Saenz and a couple of layups by Berberabe and Cook to put the Warriors back on top 38-32.
 
After a layup by the Oaks' Nura Galmes, Jarrett completed the first-half scoring with a pair of free throws to give Westmont a 40-34 lead at the intermission.
 
Westmont stretched its advantage to eight (48-40) on a layup by Okonkwo, but a 9-1 run by the Hawks tied the game at 49 with 1:19 to play in the third quarter. Layups by Jarrett and Berberabe gave the Warriors a slight four-point lead (53-49) headed into the final frame.
 
With 5:20 remaining in regulation, Roesette hit a jumper to put the Oaks back on top 55-54. That's when Westmont's defense stiffened and the Oaks were limited to just one more field goal the rest of the way.
 
Saenz and Berberabe each sank a pair of free throws to make the score 58-55 before Saenz hit a three with 2:05 to play. On the Oaks next possession, Jarrett took a charge to force a turnover, then drove the lane and scored on a layup to put Westmont up 63-55 with 1:20 to play.
 
After Kiara Brown scored the Oaks final points on a layup with just over a minute to play, making the score 63-57, Berberabe made three of four free throws to account for the final score.
 
On a night when Westmont's 3-point shooting was limited (4 of 13), the Warriors scored 34 points in the paint and got 16 points off the bench. Cook notched seven points and four boards while Okonkwo tallied six points and three rebounds. Larson added five points and four boards and Brown collected a team-high seven rebounds.
 
Westmont will match up with seventh-ranked The Master's (28-3) tomorrow night in the championship game. The Mustangs advanced with a 63-53 win over Hope International (26-5) in tonight's other semifinal game.
 
Westmont and The Master's split this year's previous meetings, each winning on the other's home floor. On November 20, the Mustangs prevailed 74-68 in Santa Barbara. Then on January 29, Westmont was victorious in Santa Clarita with a score of 64-49.
 
The two teams each feature a GSAC Co-Player of the Year in Berberabe for Westmont and Stephanie Soares for The Master's. Those same two players are also the most recent NAIA Players of the Year – Berberabe in 2021 and Soares in 2020.
 
Tip-off for the championship game in Santa Clarita is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.