Mesa, Ariz. – In the second round of men's competition, the Warriors of Westcliff breezed by Simpson University, 71-57, earning their berth in the conference tournament semifinals.
The first half opened with strong offensive starts, as the teams traded buckets back and forth throughout the first part of the first half. Entering the contest, both teams were very evenly matched from a statistical standpoint, and it showed during the early moments.
The Warriors turned up the heat down the stretch, taking off on a 13-2 run over a four minute stretch, giving them an 11-point lead. They forced four turnovers on that run, while holding the Red Hawks to just one field goal.
Westcliff entered the half with a nine point lead, largely thanks to 12 points by senior guard Josh Harrison. Callan Low tacked on eight points as the Jerred Cook-led Warriors shot 40% from the field heading into the locker room.
Morgan Cox and Javonntie Jackson combined for 17 of the Red Hawks' 24 in the first half, but the Warriors' control on the glass was a major contributor to Simpson's deficit at the break. Simpson shot just 27.3% from deep to go along with a number of turnovers, largely thanks to the defensive pressure by the Warriors.
"We know that #0 [Drey Ubas] is really deadly with the ball in his hands, he is their main ball handler," said Warriors head coach Jerred Cook, "We wanted to get the ball out of his hands to create turnovers from other guys. That was an emphasis today, and I think we were able to do that."
The Warriors continued their offensive consistency, parrying any and all Simpson offensive conversions with quick answers. The Red Hawks didn't quit, however, and Todd Franklin-coached squad continued to chip away at the deficit, cutting the lead to six by the halfway point of the second half.
Josh Harrison continued his solid performance in the second half, and lay-ins on back-to-back possessions were a huge factor in giving Westcliff a 12-point cushion with just over five minutes to go. This, coupled with a Red Hawk three-minute scoring drought, gave high hopes down the stretch for the Warriors.
The Warriors took advantage of the clock the rest of the way, staying in full control and cruising to the 14-point victory. Simpson battled hard, but struggled to stop the trio of Harrison, Abdul Abdullah, and Micaiah Hankins. The three combined for 44 points on 60% shooting, with the freshman Hankins accentuating the second half with 13 points.
"[Micaiah Hankins is] a talented freshman, you know, the moment wasn't too big for him. Early on he was nervous, and had to calm him down in the first half," said Cook about freshman Hankins' 15-point performance. "As a freshman, playing at this level, not really having too much success in high school or playing in high-level, playoff basketball, this was a new environment for him and I'm excited just to see him grow everyday".
For the Red Hawks, the starters combined for 55 of the 57 points, as the limited bench certainly struggled to make their impact felt on the floor. Daylon Potts led the game with 17 rebounds.
Up next for the Warriors is #2 Saint Katherine on Monday night. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. AST in Fieldhouse C at the Legacy Sports Conference, with the winner advancing to the conference tournament finals.
