The Westcliff women's basketball team had their four-game win streak snapped as they visited the Park-Gilbert Buccaneers on Thursday.
Both teams remained even after one quarter before Park found separation in the second, which proved crucial as they won 56-41.
Westcliff's record is now (11-9, Cal Pac 9-6) as they are currently in sixth place in the Cal Pac standings.
Every win moving forward will be of utmost significance for the Warriors who only have five games remaining of the regular season.
The second quarter proved detrimental for Westcliff as both teams began the period 15-15 before it started to slip away.
Jalen Long made an early three-pointer which would be the first of three buckets in the whole quarter for the visiting team.
Westcliff was getting up shots but they just weren't falling as the shooting percentage kept getting lower and lower.
Going into the third quarter, WU was looking at an eight-point deficit, 30-22.
They tried to turn it around but the shooting woes continued leading to another single-digit quarter.
Westcliff was outscored in the third 17-8 and shot only 25%.
The Warriors tried to make a comeback in the fourth and although they were able to win the quarter, it wasn't enough to erase the damage that was done previously.
The loss put the Warriors in the sixth spot of the conference standings and just one game away from surpassing the fifth-seed Simpson University.
WU seems to have a good grasp of the sixth seed which is significant because the top six teams qualify for the postseason tournament.
At the moment, Westcliff is in a position that promises a nail-biting finish to the regular season.
Jalen Long finished with a game-high 15 points and two steals. Long hit three shots from beyond the arc and is shooting 36% from three this season.
Valisa Millhouse was close to a double-double with seven points and seven rebounds.
Both Long and Millhouse stayed out of foul trouble this game which has not been true during a number of the Warriors' home games.
Akilah Kubi continued a solid season with eight points, four rebounds, and two steals while shooting 60% from the field. Kubi was the only Warrior player that shot over 50% that night which goes to show how much the team was struggling.
Another pair of glaring numbers was the rebounding differential. Westcliff was only able to grab 31 rebounds compared to 53 for the Buccaneers.
Westcliff will need to move on from this result as they will visit Benedictine Mesa on Saturday afternoon.
Benedictine is the No. 2 seed and should prove to be a real test of where the Warriors are at the moment.
Saturday's game will begin at 4:00 p.m.
