Odds Defied: Warriors Win with Just Six Players
The Westcliff women’s basketball team faced long odds Thursday night at Jordan Lawley Center, where the Warriors found themselves suiting up for their first ever Cal Pac Conference contest with just six players. COVID has not been kind to Westcliff as of late, sending a handful of Warriors into the protocol and out of action, including starting small forward Remy Hare. Fortunately for the Warriors, Trinity Vasquez, Bailey Hawkins and Laura Tapia did lace up Thursday and decided to put on a show in an improbable 61-59 victory over La Sierra.
By BRANDON PETERSEN
The Westcliff women's basketball team faced long odds Thursday night at Jordan Lawley Center, where the Warriors found themselves suiting up for their first ever Cal Pac Conference contest with just six players.
COVID has not been kind to Westcliff as of late, sending a handful of Warriors into the protocol and out of action, including starting small forward Remy Hare.
Fortunately for the Warriors, Trinity Vasquez, Bailey Hawkins and Laura Tapia did lace up Thursday and decided to put on a show in an improbable 61-59 victory over La Sierra.
"We knew the tough schedule would battle-test us," Westcliff head coach Kyle Rouse said. "But we didn't see this coming. We knew it was possible, it's uncontrollable with COVID, but those six girls – holy mackerel – I told them I was kind of speechless, honestly.
"It's tough to win a conference college basketball game when you're fully healthy. They just showed how gritty they are."
Indeed.
Vasquez came out of the shoot cold, missing her first three jumpers.
But shooters shoot, no matter how much they miss, and Vasquez is nothing if not a pure shooter.
Finishing with a game-high 22 points, Vasquez also collected five boards, four steals, four assists and hit what turned out to be the game-winning jumper from the right corner with a minute left.
"That shot," Rouse said. "Trinity just had ice in her veins. To play 40 minutes and then hit that shot?"
While Vasquez cleaned up down the stretch, it was Hawkins that set up the Warriors in the first half. Hawkins dropped 14 in the first 20 minutes and finished with 20 total to complement 12 rebounds.
Simply put, La Sierra had no answers for Hawkins (four steals, three assists), who scored at will from mid-range.
But the Eagles came to play themselves Thursday night and refused to roll over.
Westcliff played a zone until the final minute and La Sierra was able to hit 10 3-pointers, including five from Ariana Quintana (17 points) to stay close.
Every time the Eagles threatened, however, Westcliff held its ground.
"Being able to take those runs – La Sierra played a phenomenal game – to be able to battle those runs, especially when they cut it to one, with six exhausted players, it was just unreal," Rouse said.
The Eagles had a chance to tie it with 16 seconds left, but Hawkins played perfect man defense in the post and created a miss that she then cleaned up with the board to secure the win.
"Really, it was (the defensive) side of the floor that was huge for us tonight," Rouse said. "Our ability to adapt at the end of the game, when we switched to man after having not played it all game – and we've played 39 minutes, 46-seconds of basketball at that point – I mean, there's not really a whole lot to say.
"They played it perfect. The execution was perfect."
Vasquez has now scored 10 points or more in 14 straight contests and was named Cal Pac Player of the Week a week ago.
Up next, the Warriors travel to St. Katherine for a 1 p.m. tip Saturday.
To contact Brandon Petersen, e-mail brandonpetersen@westciff.edu.