Behind the 24 points and 11 rebounds from sophomore forward Lauren McCoy, second-ranked Westmont Women’s Basketball posted a 72-66 Golden State Athletic Conference win over No. 10 The Master’s and took over first place in the GSAC standings.
The Warriors (23-3, 12-1 GSAC) were led in rebounding by junior Aysia Shellmire, who recorded a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds. Senior Krissy Karr added 19 points, four rebounds, and two steals.
“I am proud of these women because they played aggressive, they played to win,” reflected head coach Kirsten Moore. “I thought that the whole game was a well-played game by both teams.”
The first half ended with a score of 36-34, favoring the Warriors.
“The Master’s (23-4, 13-2 GSAC) just shot the lights out in the first half,” said Moore. “We tried to stay the course through their run and then obviously tried to pick things up defensively to get some stops because we were just trading baskets with them for a while.”
The Master’s shot at 51.9 percent from the floor in the first half, while the Warriors shot at 44.1 percent.
“I think offensively we were able to get some good looks,” noted Moore. “Lauren McCoy really led us in the first half when we were struggling with shooting. She really set the tone for us with her aggressiveness -she is just a warrior. With her fighting spirit she really embodies what this team is about.”
McCoy had 16 points alone in the first half.
“In the second half I think we were able to get better shots and we knocked down shots at a higher rate,” explained Moore. “We were shooting 55 percent from the floor and 67 from the three-point line in the second half. We were then able to extend and get that little lead in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, we stayed strong and weathered a lot of The Master’s really good plays and runs as they tried to keep cutting that lead.”
The Warriors outscored The Master’s 22-14 in the third quarter and ended the quarter with a ten point lead – their highest lead of the game. The Master’s attempted to bridge the gap in the fourth quarter, but only managed to come within five (65-60).