SKID SNAPPED

By Brandon Petersen

Westcliff snapped a three-game skid Thursday night, pulling away in the second half for a 66–55 win over Cal Maritime at Hope International as part of Pink Night.

The Warriors leaned on defense and discipline to get back to .500, holding Cal Maritime to just 20 points after halftime and limiting the Keelhaulers to 14 points in the paint for the game.

"Glad to get on the other side," head coach Jerred Cook said. "Getting back to .500 after a three-game losing streak was big for us. We had some things we wanted to fix during this bye week, and I think we were able to address them."

Westcliff edged ahead 36–35 at the break before asserting control in the second half, outscoring Cal Maritime 30–20 while forcing difficult looks and controlling the tempo.

"I think it showed in terms of what we wanted to do defensively," Cook said. "They ended up with 14 points in the paint tonight. That's going to be big for us down the stretch. Teams are going to hit shots — they're college basketball players — but we want to influence as much as we can with our style of play. We were able to do that tonight."

DJ Henry led the Warriors with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists, adding three steals on the defensive end. Bryce Simpson delivered a strong interior performance with 11 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, anchoring Westcliff on the glass.

Jeramiah Paulino added 11 points and five assists, while Lorenzo Marsh chipped in 10 points and two steals as the Warriors spread the offensive load. Westcliff finished with 37 rebounds and 11 steals, using activity and pressure to disrupt Cal Maritime throughout the night.

Off the bench, Christopher Sanders provided energy with six points, five rebounds and two blocks, helping Westcliff maintain defensive intensity when the starters rested.

Cal Maritime was led by Amanjeet Chatha, who scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc, and Sam Adhikary, who added 12 points. The Keelhaulers shot 37.2 percent from the field and committed 21 turnovers under sustained pressure.

For Westcliff, the win marked an encouraging response after the bye week and set the tone heading into the stretch run.

"Glad with the effort," Cook said. "Now we get to rest, get back to it, and we've got a big one next week."

The Warriors will gear up for Senior Night, Wednesday, Feb. 4^th at Golden West.

Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.