Fulton, MO 1/12/2021- The Westminster Women's Basketball team returned to the Historic Gym for their first home game since November 27th, to take on conference foe Fontbonne University. Due to Covid health and safety protocols the Blue Jays came into the game tonight shorthanded yet that did not stop them from putting on a dominant performance on their home court. The Blue Jays took a lead with 2:04 left in the 1st quarter and held the lead until the final buzzer.
Westminster would score the opening basket, then Fontbonne would go on an 8-2 run opening up an early 8-4 lead on the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays would battle back and on a Reese Arnold (Lonedell, Mo./Washington) three pointer would give them a 16-14 lead that they would not lose the rest of the game. Westminster went into the half with a nine-point lead, 40-31. By the end of the 3rd quarter, they extended the lead to twenty-eight before Fontbonne scored a basket at the end of the quarter making the score 69-43. The Blue Jays would extend the lead to a game high 35 points with 3:59 left in the game. The Blue Jays would cruise to a 83-56 victory over the Griffins of Fontbonne University.
Reese Arnold led all scorers with 24 and continues to have the hot hand for the Blue Jays. Madison Schaeffer (Cincinnati, Ohio / Fairfield) scored 17 points and was a perfect 8-8 from the field. She also scored 16 of Westminster's 20 points in the paint. Shelby Kurtz (Camdenton, Mo. / Camdenton) recorded a double-double scoring 11 points and bringing down 11 rebounds, a team high. Kurtz also led the team with 3 steals. Jodie Bass (Boonville, MO / Boonville) contributed 12 points and Annette Ramirez (Sarcoxie, MO / Sarcoxie) chipped in 11 points as well. Maile Peck (Marshfield, MO / Marshfield) and Ramirez led the team in assists with 4.
Westminster outshot Fontbonne 48% to 35% and would make 12 shots from the 3-point arc, shooting 37% from behind the line. Westminster was all over the glass outrebounding the opposition 42-27, with 15 of them being offensive rebounds which led to 13 second chance points. Both teams shot 64% from the free throw line making nine of fourteen shots.
The Blue Jays improve to 6-7 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The Westminster Women's Basketball team will travel to Webster University on Saturday, January 15th, that game is scheduled to tip-off at 1:00 p.m. The game against Principia College that was postponed on January 8th has been rescheduled to Tuesday, January 18th, that game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. tip off in Historic Gym.
