Warriors Make History Against Golden Eagles

Riverside, CA — On a rare Tuesday night contest, the Life Pacific women's basketball team (12-15, 3-12 GSAC) took the short trip to Riverside for a game against the La Sierra Golden Eagles (6-17, 3-12). Early on, the Warriors took control and never looked back, setting the table for a historic victory.

In the first quarter, the Warriors took the lead early and never gave it up, holding the Golden Eagles to just 23.1% (3/13) from the field, going up 15-9. In the second, La Sierra cut into the lead, bringing it down to as low as 3 before the teams traded baskets, and it became a 26-22 score at the half.

When the teams returned from the locker rooms, the Warriors kept their foot on the gas, extending the lead and playing stout defense. In the fourth, the Warriors shot 16 free throws and made 12 of them to keep the Golden Eagles at bay, as well as holding them to just 27.8% (5/18) from the field. As the final buzzer sounded, the Warrior bench erupted in jubilation as they had completed the sweep of La Sierra, this chapter finishing with a score of 57-49.

The "How Good" Player of the Game award goes to Ysabel Puente. The sophomore guard was the engine of the Warrior offense and defense, scoring 24 points and nabbing 10 rebounds, 3 of them offensive, to notch her second double-double of the year, along with 3 steals and 2 assists. This game is her ninth in a row scoring double digits, averaging 20.8 points and 6.1 rebounds over that span while shooting 54.4% from the field and 43.6% from three-point range. Ebony Cooper (12pts, 2/2 3FG, 4reb) was also impactful for the offense, and Rachel Spinosa (14pts, 10/14 FT, 5reb, 6ast, career-high 7stl) played a huge role on both ends of the floor.

As a team, the Warriors shot 35.9% (16/45) from the field, 31.3% (5/16) from three-point range, and 76.9% (20/26) from the free throw line, all besting the Golden Eagles' marks. The 13 steals collected by Life Pacific are the highest they've recorded in conference play this season and led to the Warriors going +3 in the turnover battle (14-17).

This win gives the Warriors their 12th overall win and 3rd conference win on the season, both program records. Their next contest will be on the road against the fourth seed in the conference, the Arizona Christian Firestorm (10-16, 8-6 GSAC), a team that the Warriors beat at home just a month ago. This will be the final game of the season for the Warriors, and it will be at noon on Saturday, 2/21.