BOUNCE BACK

By Brandon Petersen

It came a few days late, but the Warriors had reason to extend the celebration of Christmas after a win Sunday afternoon at Hope International, where Westcliff denied Justice, 74-71.

It was a nice rebound after a forgettable road trip to the desert.

The Warriors led 41–31 at halftime before the Lions outscored Westcliff 40–33 in the second half, trimming what had been a double-digit deficit to a one-possession game in the closing minutes.

But Westcliff did enough down the stretch to hold on, finishing the night shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from three-point range after coming out shooting in the sixties in the first.

Jeramiah Paulino paced Westcliff with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, adding five assists and three steals in 29 minutes.

DJ Henry provided a major lift off the bench, scoring 16 points while knocking down four of five attempts from beyond the arc.

D'montay Warner added 13 points and nine rebounds, while Eric Clark chipped in 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting from deep.

Defensively, Westcliff recorded nine steals and nine blocks, helping offset 15 turnovers and a Justice rally that made the final minutes tense.

Justice shot 40 percent from the floor and went 18-of-24 from the free-throw line, staying within striking distance throughout the second half.

Westcliff head coach Jerred Cook said the win was an important step after a difficult stretch away from home, but acknowledged his team still has work to do.

"Glad to have a win going into the new year, especially after what we've been through on the last road trip," Cook said. "So, to come out on the other side, I'm really glad to be able to learn some lessons in a win versus it being on the other side."

Cook noted that the game tightened late and pointed to lingering rust following the break.

"This game could have went either way, especially towards the end," Cook said. "We have to do a better job of playing our brand of basketball, doing what we need to do. The rustiness showed. The break showed. And we just have to continue to grow."

The Dubs will have to stay on-point off the court for a couple more weeks.

Next meeting is with Nobel on Jan. 6^th.

Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Golden West.