Kayla Sato had a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds, leading NAIA fourth ranked Westmont Women’s Basketball to a down-to-the-wire 50-47 victory at The Master’s in a Golden State Athletic Conference opener on Wednesday night.
Westmont improved its record to 7-1 while Master’s fell to 6-2. t
For the majority of the first quarter The Master’s dominated with a 12-0 run and ultimately outscored the Warriors 16-7. In the second quarter the Warriors worked to bridge the gap and came within six by the end of the first half, 27-21.
Westmont went on a pivotal 9-0 run to take their largest lead of the game, 34-31.
Aysia Shellmire, who had 14 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks on the night, ignited the run with a jump shot. Morgan Haskin, who had eight points, five rebounds, and three blocks on the night, followed with another jump shot and Sato hit a three-pointer.
Westmont led by one point (48-47) with 36 seconds left and held the lead until Lauren McCoy increased it with a jump shot with only three seconds left on the clock.
The Master’s missed a three-pointer just before the buzzer.
With their first conference win under their belt, the Warriors will host their second GSAC game against Hope International (4-4) this coming Saturday at 5:30 p.m.