On a night Westmont College celebrated the life of Alex Moore, the Warrior women’s basketball team went out on the Murchison Gym floor and did the work necessary to earn a victory.
The Warriors got 22 points and 11 rebounds from Tugce Canitez and Esther Lee knocked down three 3-pointers during a big second-half run in a 76-56 GSAC win over San Diego Christian in the first game of the Alex Moore Classic.
The evening honored Alex Moore, the husband of Westmont women’s coach Kirsten Moore and a kinesiology professor at the school. He died last May from complications during surgery for Crohn’s disease. The Moores’ daughter, Alexis, was born two months after Alex passed.
The game served as a benefit for the Moore family and to bring awareness to Crohn’s disease.
Lee’s shooting keyed a 23-6 run to break open the game. The Warriors went from a 32-29 halftime advantage to a 53-35 lead.
“It all happened because of my teammates, they set good screens, they know when to look for me, so I just had to knock them down,” Lee told reporters after the game.
With Canitez and Kelsie Sampson dominating in the paint on defense, the Warriors were able to get their running game going and score easy baskets in transition.
The team also did a good job in not letting the emotions of the event get the best of them. They stayed focused.
“It was a special game for us because it was for Alex, so we just did the work” Canitez told reporters. “We played for our coach and I think it pushed us and helped us play well.”
