Posted: Dec 01, 2023
By Francisco Claudio
The Westcliff women's basketball team started their conference schedule with a convincing win over the Cal Maritime Keelhaulers on Thursday, 76-58.
Jalen Long gave the Warriors the first bucket and the lead with a three-pointer on their first possession.
The Warriors would never trail from that moment going forward after some elite defensive performances in the first two quarters.
Westcliff limited the Keelhaulers to single-digit scores in the first two quarters, eight and nine which earned them a 15-point lead going into the half-time break.
"We came out strong defensively despite some quick foul calls," explained assistant coach Bailey Johnson. "We were able to change our defenses often, along with rotating different lineups, which led to holding them to single-digit points in the 1st and 2nd quarters."
The Keelhaulers played better in the third quarter but so did the Warriors who shot 71.4% from the field.
Valisa Millhouse was feeling it as she scored 11 points and went 2-3 from beyond the arc.
Katie Nguyen was perfect in the third scoring six points and not missing from the field or the free throw line.
The third quarter concluded and the Warriors' lead had ballooned to 19 with some strong contributions from the entire team.
"We always have areas to improve in but overall played well," Johnson said. "We came out strong defensively and were able to hit some consistent shots in the 3rd quarter."
Janelle Ramos scored five points in the fourth quarter while Brittlay Carillo and Kayleen Vasquez each scored four off the bench to secure the win for the Warriors.
With the win, Westcliff has an overall record of (2-3) and a conference record of (1-0).
Millhouse finished with a game-high 18 points, with eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Off the bench, Vasquez scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds.
The Warriors shot 41.9% from the field and 75% from the free-throw line.
One of the few areas that they struggled was from long range as they shot 26.7% on the night.
"Going into conference 1-0 is a great start to the season and is a nice confidence boost for our players going into week one," Johnson said.
Next up, the Warriors will finish off their road trip by visiting Pacific Union on Saturday.
"Making sure we control the tempo of the game, as well as staying consistent in all four quarters, both offensively and defensively," Johnson said about areas they want to focus on for Saturday's game.
