By Ron Smith
February 8, 2024
 
(OAKLAND, Calif.) After reaching a career-high 29 points in the previous game for Westmont Women's Basketball (9-12, 5-8 PacWest), Bailey Fond added another 10 points to tonight's performance to lead the Warriors to a 79-62 win over Academy of Art (4-16, 3-11). The win was Westmont's third in a row.
 
Fong made 11 of 18 attempts from the floor including six of eight from 3-point range. The sophomore guard also connected on 11 of 14 free throw attempts to account for her 39 points.
 
Sage Kramer added another 17 points to the Warrior cause, while pulling down four rebounds.
 
The Warriors started slowly and fell behind 14-6, six minutes into the game. In the final two and one half-minutes of the opening frame, however, the Warriors began to hit their stride and scored the final six points to pull within two (14-12.).
 
Westmont gained a 16-14 advantage just under three minutes into the second quarter on a step-back jumper by Fong. It proved to be a lead the Warriors never relinquished. Westmont outscored Academy of Art 23-12 in the second frame and took a 35-26 lead into the locker room at halftime. Fong tallied 18 points in the second quarter.
 
Westmont continued to press its advantage in the third quarter, A layup by Aleena Cook with just over two minutes to play in the penultimate period gave Westmont its largest lead of the game (57-37). It was Kramer who led the Warriors in scoring in the third frame, tallying 13 points on five of six shooting including one from beyond the arc.
 
Fong closed out the fourth quarter with another 15 points, in addition to going three of four from the field (two of three from long distance), she was a perfect seven of seven from the charity stripe.
 
The game was tightly called by the officials, resulting in 53 fouls – 32 on the Urban Knights and 21 on the Warriors. Westmont pilfered the ball 18 times, with Fong collecting five steals, and Kramer and Kristan Yumul each notching four.
 
The Warriors will remain in the Bay Area to take on the Penguins of Dominican (16-5, 9-4) on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for one o'clock.