Defensive Battle Swings to Warriors, 54-51

Box Score 

(2/28/08 - Women's Basketball) IRVINE  – Another great effort fell short for Concorda on Thursday night as Westmont handed the Eagles a 54-51 defeat in Golden State Athletic Conference play.

The Eagles played stellar defense in the first half, holding Westmont to just 20 points and forcing them to shoot a dismal 25.8%  Concordia shot 43.5% from the field, but 13 turnovers in the frame prevented them from pulling away from the Warriors. CUI claimed the lead at the break, 23-20.

Westmont caught fire in the second half, connecting on 13 of their 25 attempts. The Eagles struggled to find an offensive rhythm against the Warriors’ zone as Westmont took the lead, going up by as many as nine in the final 20 minutes. 

Freshman point guard Nicole Fu hit a three to follow up Kayanna Nichols’ previous trey to pull Concordia within one at with 3:54 to play.  Trailing 50-49 with the ball after an offensive foul by the Warriors, Karen Carney cut down the key and connected on a lay-up, give the Eagles their first lead since the 18:33 mark.

Westmont’s Jessica Case bounced back from the turnovers and grabbed one of her four steals after Stephanie Anderson had connected on two free throws to put the Warriors back on top. Case went the length of the floor for the breakaway lay-up and the lead for Westmont, 54-51.  With 22 seconds to play, Fu was able to get a three-point shot attempt off that bounced off the rim and would be Concordia’s last attempt to stay in the game.

Carney had a double-double for the Eagles, tallying 12 points and 10 rebounds. She was assisted by Priscilla Angeloni, who also finished the night with 12 points paired with eight rebounds, two blocks and two assists.

Alisha Heglund led all scorers for Westmont (19-7, 11-7 GSAC), putting up 14 points on 4-for-10 shooting, including a 6-for-6 clip from the line. Case added 13 while Amber Stevens had 10 points and 7 assists for the Warriors.

Concordia (10-19, 4-15 GSAC) will play its final game of the season at home on Monday night against California Baptist with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m.