Posted: Feb 25, 2024
By Francisco Claudio
The Warriors knew the assignment.
Win, and they'd advance to the Cal Pac postseason tournament, or lose and their season would end right there.
On a day when the senior athletes were recognized and celebrated for their time at the university, the team did not disappoint.
The Westcliff women's basketball team showed their fighting spirit and rallied together to outlast the UC Merced Bobcats, 61-51.
The Warriors advanced to the Cal Pac Championships securing the sixth and final spot, while the Bobcats were sent home as their season was done.
This team just doesn't know how to give up and will rise to the occasion when their numbers are called up.
During Thursday's game against Simpson, Westcliff knew to continue their season alive, they would have to defeat the Redhawks and the Bobcats.
It was time to lock in.
"The last two games have just shown what we knew about this team all along," shared head coach Kyle Rouse. "The issue is we only showed it in spurts this season but this week you saw it in back-to-back important games.
"This team has so much heart and determination that we know no matter how much we may be down, we're never done. They don't quit and that's just a testament to their character and their perseverance."
WU lost their first meeting against UC Merced which was a road game.
On Saturday, the Warriors were the home team and it truly felt that way from beginning to end.
"We've been playing at JLAW for the last three seasons and that was the most amazing crowd I think I've seen there ever," Rouse said. "I think it caught Merced off guard at times too with how loud it was with our cheer team and all the fans we brought in for senior day.
"It was really special to have that environment in not only a huge game but also for our amazing seniors."
Through three quarters, the game was still up for grabs by either team.
The Bobcats took a two-point lead back in the second quarter, but that was the extent of their run.
The majority of the game belonged to the Warriors who led by as much as eight points in the third quarter.
But the Bobcats fought back and cut the Warriors' lead down to a basket.
As the fourth quarter began, Westcliff was up 47-45, with 10 minutes left of play.
It was a low-scoring fourth quarter, partly due to the Warriors locking down on the defensive end and making life hard for anyone in a Bobcats jersey.
With the score tied 50-50, WU gave it to Janelle Ramos down low, as she worked her magic for a layup and a two-point lead again.
That basket by Ramos sparked an 8-0 run from the Warriors and sealed the game away.
One of the six seniors recognized before the game, Ramos delivered her biggest game of the season.
She scored 19 points, with six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. The center shot 67% from the field with many of her buckets down in the post.
"Janelle is a great post-player and what you saw is not a surprise," Rouse said. "We know it's inside her to be dominant like she was and she went and did it. We realized early that Merced didn't have much to stop her in the post. Specifically when they got into foul trouble.
"The team decided we needed to emphasize inside-out play to force them to either stop her or it would give our guards a lot of open shots on the double team. Janelle being able to answer that call, changed the course of the game for sure."
All six Westcliff seniors played great and contributed to this crucial team win.
Valisa Millhouse, Eva Taylor, Katie Nguyen, Jalen Long, and Camryn McMahan, led by their center Ramos, took care of business on Saturday.
Now, they'll shift their attention to the first round of the Cal Pac Championships.
"To be honest, the message won't change much," Rouse said. "We know what we're capable of accomplishing and if our 'belief' is high and unwavering, it will be a fun tournament up at Merced.
"These seniors don't want to be done yet and they will do whatever it takes."
The postseason tournament will be held at UC Merced this year with the first games taking place on Saturday, March 2nd.
The Warriors will play the No. 3 seed Embry-Riddle at 3:30 p.m.
During the regular season, both teams split the series with the home team earning the win.
