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Westlake overcame a shorthanded roster and slow start to hand the Berea-Midpark Titans their first SWC loss of the season with a 40-33 victory on the road. The Demons were playing without Katie Whitesell and Emma Hall but benefited from big nights from Morgan Kress with 11, and Anika Norris with 6 points. The Demons played an incredibly strong defense and crashed the boards all game to secure the win.
For the Titans, it was another stellar night from Sophomore sensation Lauren Yee who went off for 19 of the Titans 33 points. Yee drove to lane with great frequency as she picked up 17 of her 19 points in the first three quarters before the Demon defense clamped down in the fourth.
Westlake started the game crashing the boards and providing their offense with several second, third and even fourth chances in the opening moments. Coach McNamara went to the bench and brought in Jenna Bycznski who shut down the middle and helped control the boards.
This combined with hot shooting from Lauren Yee, helped build a Titan lead. Yee had 8 straight in the quarter to make it 10-5, after the 5-2 start for Westlake. Bycznski hit two foul shots to close the quarter at 12-5 Titans.
The Titans maintained the lead in the second quarter as Yee and Bycznski both had three more points each. The Demons came firing back in the quarter to cut the lead to 18-17 at the break thanks to a big 6-point quarter from Anika Norris. This came along with two more from Kress and a big three pointer from Maria Kolocouris.
The Titans went on a 5-0 run to start the second half, building their lead to 23-17. From their it became the Morgan Kress show as she got red hot and starting scoring at will. Kress would finish the quarter with 8.
The big shots from the Titans would come on a Yee runner to close the quarter. Earlier in the third, it was Athena Sevastos draining a three ball. The third quarter would end with the Demons on top 28-27. The Titans would never get any closer then that one point difference.
Up by one point, the Demons put their foot on the gas pedal to start the fourth quarter. The Demons picked up a quick five points thanks to an Ana Williams three ball, and then an Abbie Gardner perfectly placed put back as she trailed the play.
Later in the quarter it was another three-ball going in from Kolocouris and the Demons would have their biggest lead of the game at 36-29. Following a coach Cory Rojeck timeout, the Demons ran a well-executed play that led to a wide-open Summer Salem layup, making it 38-29.
A Sevastos bucket combined with two Talyssa Moody foul shots, cut the lead to 38-33 as the Titans then put on the press, but couldn’t get any closer. Thanks to some clutch foul shooting by Taylor Gregory, the Demons put away the Titans 40-33. Gregory would have 5 on the night for the Demons as Abbie Gardner also had 4.
Westlake improved to 3-0 on the year, and 2-0 in the SWC. Berea-Midpark falls to 2-1 in the SWC.
