Corban's Steigleman Joins Elite List in Loss to Westmont

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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) - Junior Katie Steigleman (Eugene, Ore.) became the 12th player in program history to score 1,000-or-more points in a career thanks to a game-high tying 23 points, but it was not enough as Corban's women's basketball team dropped its season opener to Westmont, 87-55, Friday inside Murchison Gymnasium.

The third-year Warrior was the only Corban player to score in double figures, as Steigleman was 6-for-12 shooting from the field and 10-for-11 from the free throw line to go along with sophomore Tess Bennett's (Sutherlin, Ore.) six-points and a game-high tying six-rebounds. Senior Jennesa Miller (Mica, Wash.) added six points and sophomore Melissa Jones (Klamath Falls, Ore.) tallied five points off the bench, while senior Rachel Harter (Grass Valley, Calif.) added four points and three rebounds.

After Westmont scored the opening basket via an Angel Blanco jumper in the opening minute, Steigleman gave Corban its only lead with an old fashion three-point play thanks to a lay-up and free throw with 18:41 remaining in the first half. Steigleman's lay-in would give her career point numbers 998 and 999 before her first free throw of the season put her among the program's elite scorers with career point number 1,000. In the process, Steigleman became the second member of her family to score more than 1,000 points in a career, as her older sister, Jessica Steigleman, is the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,747 points during a four-year career that spanned from 2004-08.

Over the next 27 seconds, Westmont would use a 5-0 run to take a four-point lead (7-3) before Corban used a quick 4-0 run to tie the game for the second and final time at 7-all with 17:28 on the clock. Westmont would grab a 10-point lead (22-12) after a Kelsie Sampson three-pointer with 10:54 left, as Corban got as close as five points (22-17) after a Steigleman lay-in with 7:37 on the clock. The host Warriors would then extend their lead to as much as 17 points (36-19) before settling for a 14-point (38-24) halftime cushion.

The second half would feature Westmont grabbing a quick 30-point lead (56-26) before extending it to as much as 33 (63-30) thanks to a Vanessa Farias three-pointer with 12:47 left in the game. Corban would only cut into the deficit by a single point (87-55) at the final buzzer thanks to Westmont's hot shooting (31-for-63) from the field over the course of the game.

Katie Kittle would lead Westmont with a game-high tying 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field that included a scorching 4-for-6 from behind the three-point line to go along with a 5-for-6 performance at the free throw line. Three other Warriors – Larissa Hensley, Lisa Peterson, and Farias – scored in double figures with 13, 10, and 10 points respectively, while Peterson also added a game-high tying six rebounds.

As a team, Corban shot 17-for-42 (40.5%) from the field to go along with a 2-for-9 (22.2%) showing from behind the three-point line and a 19-for-29 (65.5%) performance at the free throw line. On the other hand, Westmont was 31-for-63 (49.2%) from the field, 12-for-24 (50.0%) from beyond the arc, and 13-for-16 (81.3%) at the charity stripe.

With today's result, Corban falls to 0-1 on the season and Westmont remains unbeaten at 3-0. The Warriors will continue their Southern California road trip tomorrow – Saturday, November 13th – against The Master's College beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Santa Clarita, California.

Source: Corban University