The 2025-26 season came to an end for Westmont Women’s Basketball (21-9) on Friday evening in the semifinals of the PacWest Championships. The fourth-seeded Warriors fell to top-seeded Vanguard (22-5) by a score of 73-59 at Point Loma’s Golden Gymnasium.
The loss also brought to a conclusion the Westmont careers of seniors Noemie Bariteau, Bailey Fong, Lisa Kiefer and Sage Kramer – all of whom have made a lasting impact on the program.
The Warriors fell behind 15-4 to open the game and were unable to overcome that deficit. Westmont pulled within six (19-13) on a layup by Jazmyn Shipp with 1:16 remaining in the opening frame and then again (21-15) when Kramer scored on a jumper in the paint with 0:42 showing on the clock. However, by quarter’s end, Vanguard was back up by eight (23-15).
There was not much scoring by either team in the second quarter as each team held the other to just eight points. As a result, Vanguard took a 31-23 lead into the locker room at halftime.
In the first minute and one-half of the third quarter, Westmont cut the deficit to four on layups by Bariteau and Kiefer. However a 14-0 Vanguard run made it a 45-27 game at the midpoint mark of the penultimate period. Headed into the final frame, Westmont was looking at a 17-point deficit (51-34).
Westmont battled back and came within seven points (61-54) with 2:08 left in regulation. The Warriors, however, would get no closer.
The game was characterized by a large number of foul calls – 27 on Westmont and 20 on Vanguard. The effect was to send the Lions to the foul line 30 times while Westmont made 20 trips. Kiefer, Bariteau and Shipp all fouled out of the game in the fourth quarter. None of the three had ever previously fouled out of a game in their Westmont careers.
In addition, Westmont point guard Mariah Brown was unable to play due to injury.
Bariteau led the Warriors in scoring with 19 points while also tallying four rebounds and four assists. Shipp recorded nine points and nine rebounds while Kiefer scored eight points, had three rebounds, blocked three shots and snagged two steals.