The Benedictine University Mesa women's basketball team continued its strong start to the season Tuesday evening, defeating Westcliff University 75-59 at home to improve to 3-0 on the year.
The Redhawks established control from the opening tip, racing out to a 23-9 first-quarter advantage behind an aggressive defensive effort and efficient scoring in the paint. Benedictine forced seven turnovers in the first 10 minutes and converted those opportunities into early offense, building a lead that never dipped below double digits for the remainder of the contest.Â
Benedictine carried a 41-25 lead into halftime after shooting 18-for-35 from the field in the opening half. Westcliff found success from beyond the arc in the second quarter, but the Redhawks answered with balanced scoring and strong interior play to maintain a comfortable cushion.Â
The Redhawks stretched their advantage to as many as 19 points midway through the third quarter and held a 57-44 lead entering the final period. Despite a late push from the Warriors, Benedictine never allowed Westcliff closer than 13 points in the fourth quarter.Â
Leading the way offensively was Sofia Gagnier, who poured in a game-high 18 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting performance while adding four rebounds and two steals. Olivia Arvallo stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points and a game-high 10 assists, while Leanna Lepe contributed 14 points and six rebounds. Alexia Wilcox recorded a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.Â
Benedictine finished the night shooting 45.6 percent from the floor and dominated the glass with a 40-32 rebounding advantage. The Redhawks also shared the ball effectively, totaling 20 assists on 31 made field goals. Defensively, Benedictine forced 21 Westcliff turnovers and turned those miscues into 16 points.
