COSTA MESA — Stefanie Berberabe poured in 28 points to lead #4 Westmont (6-1) to a 64-45 victory in the first game of a critical three-game series against #12 Vanguard (5-2) on Tuesday.
With the win, the Warriors improved to 3-0 in the GSAC West standings and now hold a game and one-half led over the Lions who are 2-2 in conference play.
Westmont and Vanguard will play again on Friday and Saturday. If the Warriors win either of those games, they will clinch an automatic berth into the NAIA National Championship.
Senior guard Lauren Tsuneishi scored five points with two assists and a steal in the victory. Junior Krissy Miyahara added six points off the bench.
The lead switched hands several times throughout the first six minutes of the third quarter. The Lions were up 34-31 with three and one-half minutes left in the penultimate period when Westmont started to take over the game. Destiny Okonkwo, Sydney Brown and Berberabe scored on consecutive layups to give Westmont a 37-34 advantage. The Warriors closed out the quarter with a leading score of 41-34.
Friday and Saturday’s games are both scheduled for 4:30 tip-offs. Fans can enjoy all the action on the Westmont Sports Network broadcasts available at http://athletics.westmont.edu.
— Courtesy Westmont Athletics