Four Warriors scored in double figures as Westmont Women's Basketball (9-6, 5-3 PacWest) defeated the Penguins of Dominican (11-9, 5-4) on Thursday night by a score of 72-61. The game was the first in a six-game homestand over the next three weeks.
"Dominican is a really good team," noted Westmont's head coach Kirsten Moore. "They have demonstrated that over a number of years. We knew tonight would be a big challenge, but also a big opportunity to try to keep fighting our way up in the standings.
"I was really proud of the grittiness of our team. They made some tough runs on us, but we were able to respond and hold onto a lead the majority of the game.
"Different people stepped up at different times and we had great play off of our bench. I was proud that we got it done tonight with a lot of different people contributing."
Bailey Fong led the Warriors in scoring with 18 points on seven-of-14 shooting from the floor. Sage Kramer and Jazmyn Shipp each added 16 points with Kramer making six of 11 and Shipp six of nine.
Mariah Brown tallied 13 points, going four for five from the floor including three of four from beyond the arc.
Westmont's defense held Dominican to just 10 points in the first quarter while the Warriors tallied 19 points. The Warriors jumped out to an 8-2 lead with triples from Noemie Bariteau and Kramer sandwiched around a jumper by Molly Garnand.
The Penguins responded with an 8-0 run to take a 10-8 lead, but the Warriors turned the tables and scored the final nine points in the first quarter. Fong scored on a jumper and a layup before Brown recorded a layup and a trey.
Dominican found some momentum in the second frame, scoring 20 points to Westmont's 19. Kramer led the way in scoring for the Warriors with eight second-quarter points on two layups, a jumper and two free throws.
Jazmyn Shipp added a layup one minute in, another as time expired, and a free throw in the middle. Triples by Brown and Fong accounted for the rest of the Warriors' scoring.
A low-scoring third quarter went 14-13 in favor of the visitors resulting in a 51-44 lead for the Warriors after 30 minutes of play. Fong tallied seven of the Warriors' points in the penultimate period on a 3-pointer, a layup and a jumper.
In the first 70 seconds of the final frame, the Penguins cut the lead to three (51-48) with a pair of layups by Alaiyah San Juan. The Warriors responded with a 7-0 run that was sparked by the defense. After a steal by Brown, Shipp scored on a layup.
On the Penguins' ensuing possession, Lisa Kiefer blocked a shot and Bariteau retrieved the rebound. That led to one of Brown's triples.
On the next defensive possession, Fong stole the ball and completed a layup to make the score 58-48 with seven minutes left in regulation.
"I am proud of the growth that we are making on the defensive end," expressed Moore. "I still think we need to be so much better. There are so many possessions where we are not able to play to our principles and finish the possessions, but we are making strides in the right direction.
"Mariah is stepping up for us defensively as well as offensively. She has a lot of different ways of making people around her better. The last couple of games, she has had the assignment of defending the other team's best player and she has done a good job."
After San Juan connected on a free throw, Shipp stretched the Warriors' lead to 14 (63-49) with a pair of layups, earning an 'and-one' bonus on the second one.
Dominican began cutting into the Warrior advantage and with 42 seconds left in the game, Mikayla Amoroso struck from beyond the arc to make it a seven-point game at 68-61.
That, however, would be the last points scored by the Penguins. Shipp and Brown each added a pair of free throws to finish off the scoring and secure the Warrior win.
With the victory - which was the fourth in a row for the Warriors - Westmont leaped-frogged Dominican and now sits in fourth place in the PacWest standings.
Westmont continues the homestand on Saturday when they welcome the Oaks of Menlo (7-8. 3-5) to Murchison Gymnasium for a one o'clock game.