DEFENDING THE CROWN

By Brandon Petersen

Westcliff men's basketball used a dominant first half and steady second-half play to secure a 73–58 win over Pacific Union Thursday night at Orange Coast College.

Westcliff jumped out to a 37–19 lead at halftime, holding Pacific Union to 26.3 percent shooting in the opening half. The Warriors maintained control after the break, matching Pacific Union's 39-point second half to close out the win and open conference play with a victory.

Lorenzo Marsh led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, knocking down four three-pointers to pace the Westcliff offense. Jeramiah Paulino added 14 points and four assists, while Eric Clark finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.

DJ Henry contributed eight points, four assists, and a game-high six steals, helping fuel Westcliff's defensive pressure. Christopher Sanders provided a spark off the bench with eight points and five rebounds as Westcliff rotated through its lineup throughout the night.

Westcliff head coach Jerred Cook said the win was an important step as his team begins conference play, but emphasized growth over results.

"Good to get the league off to a good start," Cook said. "Learn lessons in wins. I think we were able to control the team early on, but credit goes again to our opponent tonight. They never let up, even when we tried to create true separation."

Westcliff shot 52.5 percent from the field and forced 19 turnovers, recording 10 steals on the defensive end. Pacific Union was led by Lorenzo Pardo, who scored 10 points off the bench, while Yatsyn Anderson added nine points. Isaiah Harper grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

Cook said the Warriors' focus remains on execution and consistency as the season progresses.

"The goal for our team right now is to not be focused so much on the outcome and be locked into every part of the process," Cook said. "When we do that, we have more success more times than not. But glad to be able to get a win. Things we can continue to get better on."

With Simpson looming, Cook said managing minutes and keeping players fresh was a priority.

"We wanted to make sure we got everybody in tonight and kept fresh legs," Cook said. "I'm looking forward to competing on Saturday. It'll be a good one. I think we're starting to hit our stride."

Westcliff (1-0) improved to 6–4 overall and will meet the Red Hawks Saturday.

Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Golden West.