Strong Effort Not Enough for the Warriors

On Tuesday afternoon, the Westcliff men's basketball team was looking to give the University of Antelope Valley the first loss to their season.

Through one half it looked promising for the Warriors, but in the second half, Antelope Valley showed why they are at the top of the Cal Pac Conference.

This year's competition is proving to be formidable and this game was a prime example as Westcliff was defeated 79-66.

In the first half, the Warriors were able to hold their own as they took the lead at the 5:41 mark, 28-24.

But single-digit leads are not enough when you have players who are capable of making shots from beyond the arc.

At the end of the first half, the Warriors were battling hard to stay even and were looking at a one-point deficit, 36-35.

Westcliff had their opportunities to even up the score and take the lead in the second half, but wasn't able to knock down key shots.

But they kept battling and made a couple of pushes that had them one or two points behind the Pioneers.

At the 6:09 mark, Cap Uzan sank a three-pointer to have the Warriors down by one point, 58-57.

But turnovers kept them behind in the score and proved too much against a strong Antelope Valley team.

Olisa Ngonadi scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds.

Gary Harris scored 15 points and had eight boards.

Cap Uzan finished with 13 points and a couple of timely three-pointers during key possessions in the second half.

With this loss, the Warriors have an overall record of (3-5) and a Cal Pac Conference record of (2-3).

They currently sit in the middle of the conference standings and will look to bounce back as their crucial part of the season starts.

For the remainder of the season, Westcliff will be playing against teams only in their conference.

But this team has shown signs of very good basketball and if they can keep their turnover numbers low, the pieces are there for a strong push this season.

Next up, the Warriors will play their last match of 2022 when they host La Sierra University.

The game will take place Thursday, December 29, at 5:30 PM.