February 28, 2023

On to the Finals!

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By Francisco Claudio
 
One step away. Just one more opponent standing in the way. 
 
The Westcliff men's basketball team took another huge step in their program as they defeated the #2 seed in the conference, Saint Katherine.
 
On Monday night the Warriors had another convincing performance as they outplayed and outclassed their rivals 74-64.
 
It was a team win, and they wouldn't have it any other way.
 
Four of the five starters scored in double digits for the Warriors with the fifth missing it by one point.
 
Gary Harris had a team-high 18 points and five rebounds. 
 
But what was a bigger factor was the energy and athleticism that Harris brings each game. Harris had multiple highlight plays that led to acrobatic layups and dunks. 
 
It was a complete game for Harris who shot 54% from the field and 67% from beyond the arc. Harris also made both of his free throw attempts adding to an already complete game.
 
Cap Uzan also had a huge game with 17 points, three rebounds, a steal, and a block.
 
Uzan shot lights out from beyond the arc making 50% of his six attempts and most notably a couple that were well beyond the three-point line.
 
Josh Harrison contributed with 11 points and three rebounds. Harrison had a couple of timely layups when the Warriors needed them the most to stop any potential runs from Saint Katherine.
 
Josh Jones impacted every aspect of the game with nine points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block. Jones was the spark plug that started it all as his three-pointer was the first basket of the game that set the tone for everything else. 
 
And finally, we have to talk about double-double Abdul.
 
Abdul Abdullah showed why he is one of the leaders of the team with his maturity and tenacity to get the job done. Abdullah got another double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds as he led his team over the #2 seed.
 
The Warriors shot well from the field at 48% and 73% from the free-throw line.
 
Converting on those free throw attempts was big because Saint Katherine took just as many and made them at a high percentage.
 
The first half was a back-and-forth as neither team could get any separation and after 20 minutes of play the differential was only one point.
 
But even though the Warriors only had a one-point lead going into the second half, you got the feeling that they were the better team.
 
The second half left no doubt about that.
 
The Warriors outscored Saint Katherine 44-33 in the second half as they took their second step and will go on to the finals of the California Pacific Conference Championship tournament. 
 
The #3 Warriors will face #4 UC Merced as both teams are looking to qualify for their first NAIA National Championship.
 
The game will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 28, with a tip-off of 7:00 PM PST.