By Ron Smith
December 14, 2024
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) After trailing by as much as 26 points in the second quarter, Westmont Women's Basketball (4-5, 1-2 PacWest) nearly pulled off a comeback, pulling to within five points in the fourth quarter before falling to #11 Azusa Pacific (9-1, 4-0) by a score of 72-65.
 
Freshman forward Jazmyn Shipp recorded her first collegiate double-double, tallying a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds to help fuel the Warrior rally. It was the first time Shipp has recorded double-digits in either category.
 
Down by a score of 35-9 three minutes into the second quarter, Westmont began whittling away at the Cougar lead and cut the deficit to 18 (44-26) by intermission.
 
Westmont returned from the break and turned what once looked like it was headed for a rout into a ballgame. A jumper by Kate Goostrey and a pair of layups by Molly Garnand and Sage Kramer pulled the Warriors to within 12 (44-32).
 
The rest of the penultimate period was played fairly evenly, in large measure thanks to Shipp who tallied eight points in the frame. By the end of the third quarter, Westmont trailed by 11 (55-44).
 
Azusa Pacific led off the fourth quarter by scoring seven points in the first minute and re-establishing a 62-44 advantage. However, the Warriors responded by scoring the next six points on two field goals by Noemie Bariteau and a layup by Lisa Kiefer, reducing the deficit to 12 (62-50).
 
The Cougars' Audrey Sayoc nailed a 3-pointer to end the Warriors' run, but Goostrey answered back immediately with a three of her own to make the score 64-53 with six minutes remaining in regulation.
 
After Rome Falcocchia scored on a jumper, Bariteau did the same, resulting in 66-55 showing on the scoreboard.
 
With two ticks under three minutes to play, Shipp pulled down an offensive rebound and scored on the put-back to make it a single-digit game (66-57). Then with just over two minutes to play, Bariteau scored on a layup, pulling the Warriors to within seven (66-59).
 
After APU's Amayah Kirkman drilled a three, Shipp scored on a jump shot to make it an eight-point game (69-61 with 1:23 to go.
 
Shipp cut the lead to six (69-63) with a second-chance layup with 18 seconds to play. After Sayoc made one of two free throw attempts, Bailey Fong scored on a layup to make the score 70-65. However, only two second remained on the clock. Kelly Heimburger would add a couple of free throws for the Cougars to account for the final score.
 
Bariteau finished with 10 points, three rebounds and two assists while Goostrey tallied eight points and three boards. Brown contributed five points, eight rebounds and six assists.
 
The Warriors outrebounded the Cougars 42-33 and snatched 17 offensive rebounds which led to 20 second-chance points. In the second half, Westmont outscored Azusa Pacific 39-28.
 
The Warriors will be back in action on Wednesday afternoon when they host the Sunbirds of Fresno Pacific as part of a women's and men's doubleheader. The women's game is scheduled to tip off at one o'clock with the men following at three. The two teams played each other in Fresno on December 5 with the Warriors prevailing 56-40.