It’s official. After a season-saving six-game winning streak, and some help on Thursday night, the Westmont Men’s Basketball team has clinched a berth in the PacWest Tournament for the first time in program history.
The Warriors started the year 5-7, and on the outside looking in in the PacWest playoff picture.
Come February, however, the Warriors have gone undefeated in their last six contests, securing the team a winning conference season, and a top-six record in the PacWest.
“It feels great, and it feels really earned by our guys,” said Westmont head coach Landon Boucher. “They’ve just played their best basketball at the right time, and you want it to happen that way.
“The basketball season is such a long year, and you want to see your chemistry build and you want to see guys fighting for each other. Our guys have done that, and they continue to do it more and more every game.”
Speaking to Westmont’s second-half turnaround, Boucher said, “I think oftentimes, basketball seasons are defined by how you perform in key moments. Our guys have capitalized on a few big moments. Those moments have built our confidence, and I think our guys have played with the right amount of confidence since then, while still being humble.
“Our guys know every single game in this league is going to be a war. For our guys, going into those wars with confidence has been key.”
The Warriors will finalize their seeding in the tournament with two more regular season contests, the first of which will be played on Saturday night at Biola. Once the calendar turns to March, the Warriors will prepare to play in the PacWest Tournament Quarterfinals.
Westmont’s first-ever NCAA Division II postseason game will be played on Thursday, March 6, in San Rafael. If the Warriors can win three games in three days up north, they would qualify for the NCAA Division II West Regional.