By Ron Smith
February 2, 2026
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) On Monday night at Murchison Gymnasium, Westmont Women's Basketball (16-5, 12-3 PacWest) extended its winning streak to seven games by utilizing a stingy defense. The result was a 60-31 win over Jessup (5-16, 3-12). It was the fewest points allowed by the Warriors in nearly two years.
 
"We have been focused on trying to play defense for 40 minutes," expressed Westmont's head coach Kirsten Moore. "Three single-digit quarters was really great. I am proud of our entire team effort. Our bench and our depth is becoming such a huge strength for us. We have so many weapons. I am excited for what that is building to be.
 
"We know we have a tough stretch of the season ahead of us now. If we can stay focused on our defense and our rebounding, a lot of good things can happen for this group. We have the pieces we need to have a lot of success. I am pleased, for sure, with our defense tonight."
 
Westmont is the top defensive team in the PacWest, allowing just 50.3 points per game. The Warriors also lead the conference in rebounding average (43.7), offensive rebounding average (17.1) and rebounding margin (15.7). The last of those stats is 9.7 better than the next closest conference team.
 
Westmont held Jessup, also nicknamed the Warriors, to 27.7% shooting from the field and just 13 field goals. The Montecito based Warriors tallied 12 steals during the contest and outrebounded Jessup 41-32. Westmont tallied 19 points off turnovers to Jessup's two.
 
Offensively, Westmont – which holds the PacWest's highest scoring margin at +19.0 – scored nearly half of its points (28) in the paint. The bench accounted for 32 points.
 
Molly Garnand (11 points, five rebounds) opened the scoring with a turn-around jumper before Jessup's Andheya Aurelio (eight points, nine rebounds) connected on a long two-pointer from the right side. Then a layup by Sage Kramer (seven points, four rebounds) gave the home Warriors a 4-2 lead. Jessup responded with a short jumper by Aurelio and a layup off a turnover by Laia Pala (11 points) to take a 6-4 lead at the first media timeout.
 
Noemie Bariteau (11 points, four rebounds) recaptured the lead for Westmont on a three from the left wing, but Aurelio did the same from the left corner. Bariteau drove the lane for a layup as the lead changed sides again, giving Westmont a 9-8 advantage. There would be no more lead changes.
 
With 16 seconds left in the opening quarter, Garnand was fouled on a jump shot and drained both free throws. Jessup's Aniah Cross drove the baseline in an attempt to score at the buzzer, but the ball fell off the rim, and Westmont's 11-8 advantage stood at the end of 10 minutes of play.
 
The second quarter belonged to Westmont who outscored Jessup 17-2.
 
Garnand started off the second frame by dropping in a triple from the right wing before Pala recorded a jumper on the other end to make the score 14-10.
 
Jazmyn Shipp (nine points, seven rebounds), returning to the court after recovering from an injury, received a pass at the top of the key, faked a 3-point shot, drove the lane, drew a crowd, then bounced passed to Garnand for a bunny under the basket. The next time down the court, Shipp took the shot from the top of the key and swished the net, giving Westmont a 19-10 advantage.
 
"It was great to get Jazmyn a few minutes," said Moore. "That was the goal tonight. Obviously, it didn't take her long to look comfortable out there. Her return just continues to add to the completeness of this team and what we can accomplish together."
 
Skyler Knight (seven points) scored next for the Warriors, connecting from beyond the arc on the right wing to put Westmont up 22-10. Then, Lisa Kiefer (five points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks) stole the ball and dribbled the length of the court before passing to Kramer who scored under the basket. Bariteau followed that up by driving the lane and making a sweeping layup, advancing the score to 26-10.
 
On the next possession, Bariteau drove into the lane again, but this time passed to Annie Gibbons (two points, three rebounds) who scored on yet another short jumper for Westmont. That brought the score to 28-10, which proved to be the score at halftime.
 
Pala scored the first points of the third quarter, dropping in a three from the left wing and breaking the Warriors' 15-0 run. Then, Jessup's Porter Wood (six points, five rebounds) followed with a layup to make the score 28-15. Kiefer was fouled on a shot under the basket and made one of the resulting free throws for the first Warrior point of the second half.
 
Aurelio reduced the Westmont margin to 12 when she scored on a running layup in the paint. Then Mariah Brown (five points, three rebounds), who was fouled as she attempted a reverse layup, made two free throws. Navine Mallon (three points, two rebounds) connected for a three from the left corner, and Westmont was back up 34-17.
 
With two minutes to play in the third, Brown was fouled again. She made the first free throw and missed the second. However, Shipp grabbed the offensive board and was fouled on the rebound. She made both attempts from the charity stripe. Brown was fouled again away from the basket, and awarded two free throws, both of which fell through the net. That made the score 39-17.
 
An inbound pass under the Warrior hoop from Bailey Fong (four assists, two steals) went to Bariteau under the basket. Her jumper found its home, giving the Warriors a 41-17 lead at the end of three quarters of play.
 
Bariteau scored on a layup to start the final frame, and Wood followed suit for Jessup. A Warriors' steal by Bariteau resulted in a fast-break layup by Knight, making the score 45-19. Wood scored Jessup's 20th point on a free throw before Garnand tallied Westmont's 47th on a layup.
 
Fouled on the opposite end, Wood made one of two free throws. A Jessup foul on Kiefer sent her to the line and she made both. After Pala scored on a layup, Kramer drained a three from the right wing and Westmont was up 52-23.
 
Patricia Gonzalez (three points) responded with a three for Jessup before Shipp scored on a jumper under the basket on an assist from Fong. Haley Hoff (three points) then hit another triple for the visiting Warriors. Kiefer was again fouled and sank both free throws and the Warriors led 56-29.
 
Shipp collected an offensive board and put the ball back through the hoop for a basket before Pala scored on a layup. Knight had the final say when she stole the ball and drove the length of the court for a layup to produce the last points of the game.
 
The Warriors will be back in action on Saturday, February 7 when they take on the Lions of Vanguard (14-4, 10-3) as part of a women's and men's doubleheader. The women tip off at 5:30 p.m. with the men following at 7:30.