Blue Jays Fourth Quarter Rally Comes Up Short

Picture by Emily Bullock
Picture by Emily Bullock

Las Vegas, Nv 12/29/2023- The Westminster College women's basketball team capped off their trip to Las Vegas with their last game of the 2023 Division 3 Classic against Occidental College out of Los Angeles, California. Westminster started the fourth quarter down 50-39 and would rally to cut the deficit to five points with 9:10 left in the game. The Tigers would hold off the Blue Jay comeback and won the game 67-59. Occidental improves to 7-1 on the season and Westminster falls to 4-7.

The Blue Jays came out strong, leading 16-12 after the first quarter. The Tigers answered with a 14-9 second quarter. Annette Ramirez hit a shot at the buzzer to send the Blue Jays down one at halftime, 26-25.

Occidental would get hot in the third quarter, putting up 24 points and holding the Blue Jays to 14 and took a 50-39 lead into the fourth quarter. The Blue Jays would start the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run, Avylina Powell-Qualo would get fouled on the opening possession, she would make one free throw. Annette Ramirez would get a steal and Tristan Porter would knock down a three-pointer of the assist from Ramirez.

On the next possession, Porter would return the favor by getting a steal of her own and passed the ball up to Ramirez for a fastbreak layup to make 50-45 and put the Blue Jays down five points with 9:10 remaining. The turnover bug would bite the Blue Jays. They would turn the ball over seven times down the stretch and turned the ball over twenty-four times in 67-59 loss.

Annette Ramirez led the Blue Jays with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Tristian Porter would have 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Avylina Powell-Qualo had 7 points and 10 rebounds.

The Blue Jays will return to Fulton for New Year's and start 2024 at home against Fontbonne University on Wednesday, January 3rd at 5:30 pm inside the Historic Gym.