By Ron Smith
January 28, 2023
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Stefanie Berberabe tallied 17 points and Destiny Okonkwo pulled down 15 rebounds as #5 Westmont Women's Basketball (18-1, 11-1 GSAC) defeated The Master's (12-7, 6-6) by a score of 63-54 in Golden State Athletic Conference action.
 
The Warriors, who never trailed, started off the game on an 11-2 run. Freshman Bailey Fong (8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals), making her first collegiate start, opened the scoring with a triple before Sydney Brown (12 points, 5 rebounds) added a layup. Sage Kramer (6 points, 3 rebounds) followed suit with another layup before Okonkwo (8 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists) scored on a put-back. Kramer completed the run by knocking down a pair of free throws.
 
Westmont led 19-14 at the end of the opening frame. However, The Master's battled back and pulled to within one (23-22) on a layup by Lexi Hernandez (15 points, 8 rebounds). The Warriors responded, however, by ending the second quarter on 6-0 run to take a 29-22 lead into halftime. Kramer and Okonkwo scored two points each before Berberabe (17 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists) hit a jumper in the final seconds of the first half.
 
The run continued after the intermission, with Westmont scoring the first eight points of the third quarter to go up 35-22. Laila Saenz (12 points, 3 steals) knocked down back-to-back threes before Fong scored on a layup, assisted by Berberabe.
 
Hernandez ended Westmont's 14-point run with a triple, but Saenz struck again from beyond the arc to make it a 40-25 Warrior advantage. Westmont led by double-digits throughout the rest of the third quarter and until the final minute of the final frame.
 
As has become their custom, the Warriors outrebounded their opponent 40-30, including 23-9 on the offensive glass. That resulted in 20 second-chance points. Westmont tallied 14 steals in the game, which led to a 20-11 turnover advantage.
 
The Warriors' season continues next week with a pair of home games. On Thursday, Westmont will host the Hawks of San Diego Christian (6-16, 2-11) at 5:30 p.m. Then on Saturday, the Warriors will welcome the Royals of Hope International (17-5, 10-3) to Murchison Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.