January 26, 2024

Warriors Take Down the No. 1 Seed UAV

Video Box Score
By Francisco Claudio
 
That's the fifth win in a row for the surging Warriors.
 
This victory was particularly satisfying due to how it was achieved and who the opponent was.
 
Thursday night, the Westcliff men's basketball team took down the undefeated No. 1 seed in the Cal Pac Conference, the University of Antelope Valley Pioneers.
 
The Warriors led from beginning to end after starting on a 5-0 run with baskets from Rayven Turner and Micaiah Hankins.
 
It was a deserving win for the Warriors who have been playing their best basketball of the season and everyone seems to be on the same page of the bigger goal, defending the Cal Pac title.
 
"We have matured and committed more to the details," described head coach Jerred Cook of the difference between this team now, and just a month ago. "The last time we played them our players were trying to help the team but doing so in a hero-like facet. 
 
"Don't get me wrong we have some extremely talented players individually but now we have understood that how dangerous we can be collectively. Most importantly, we have committed to our principles on the defensive end which has completely forced each player to take pride in getting stops on the defensive end."
 
We can quickly forget that the Warriors are the defending champs after seeing UAV's record of 11-0 in the conference standings.
 
But Coach Cook knows that this team can elevate their game and play the right way which will lead to another successful run this postseason.
 
Again, the Warriors had four players in double digits which will usually lead to a positive result.
 
Jamal Briscoe led both teams with 16 points, grabbed six rebounds, and had five assists.
 
Turner followed with 14 points, six rebounds, and three steals. He went 3-5 from beyond the arc.
 
Hankins had 13 points, two rebounds, and two assists while shooting just under 50% from the field.
 
Off the bench, Lorenzo Marsh had an impactful nine minutes as he scored 11 points while shooting 67% from the three-point line.
 
"⁠Lorenzo 'Zo' will be a contributor moving forward in our program," Cook said. "Size, versatility, and winning mentality were evident since day one. As he continues to become more comfortable and grow within the team, we expect the shotmaking to as well."
 
With eight games remaining on the schedule, the Warriors are sitting in fourth place with a record of (9-8, Cal Pac 8-4).
 
They are just one game behind the second seed which is a tie right now between UC Merced and USK.
 
If we look at the schedule, the Warriors will face UC Merced in their final game of the season which could turn out to be an important game to decide seeding.
 
But for now, Westcliff will enjoy a couple of days of downtime before they host Pacific Union at home.
 
The message for the Warriors after an important win that extended their winning streak was simple: "It has always been 'Us'. The message has always been the same. Don't let go of the rope, the principles will lead you through the adversity. We will continue to get better in every facet, we are not satisfied as we have let a lot of winnable games get away. Now we must control what we can and push to put ourselves in the best position down the stretch."