Junior forward Lisa Peterson scored 21 points while senior forward Angel Blanco sophomore guard Vanessa Farias each added another 18 as No. 21 Westmont defeated 11th-ranked Westminster (Utah) by a score of 93-78 on Wednesday night.
The win, part of the GSAC Challenge hosted by Westmont, improves the Warriors record to 9-2 while the Griffins fall to 9-4.
“It was another team effort, led by our inside game with Lisa and Angel,” said Westmont head coach Kirsten Moore. “They had great inside presence and shot a high percentage. As a team, we were able to get the ball into them and they finished for us. To put that many points on the board gave us a good cushion against a team that can really score.”
Down 19-17 with 12:19 remaining in first-half action, Farias nailed the first of her three buckets from beyond the arc to give Westmont a 20-19 advantage. The Warriors never trailed again in the contest.
In the second half, the Warriors put some distance between themselves and the Griffins. Up by seven (54-47), Westmont’s Kelsie Sampson (7 points, 7 rebounds) scored on a jumper to spark a 10-0 run. Westmont increased its lead to as much as 23 points on Farias’ final three of the night.
Also scoring in double-figures for the Warriors was Katie Kittle who tallied 13 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Westminster was led in scoring by Jenteal Jackson who tallied 21 points. Allie Eastman added another 14 points while both Dani Evans and Nicole Yazzie contributed 11.
In the first game of the GSAC Challenge, California Baptist (10-3) defeated Georgetown College of Kentucky (6-7) by a score of 92-70. V.V. Vasciunaite scored 32 points for the Lancers while Dana Olsen added 18 points and six rebounds. Shanice Billington nearly had a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
On Thursday, California Baptist will take on Westminster at 1 o’clock at Westmont’s Murchison Gymnasium. The Warriors will take the court at 5:30 against Georgetown
Nice job Coach Moore and the Warriors!