Western women's basketball team prepared for its 2015 - 2016 season with a scrimmage on Saturday, Nov. 7, against the Skagit Valley Community College Cardinals.
Holding the Cardinals to under 12 points in three of the five quarters played, the Vikings played strong defense for most of the game and led in every quarter.
Head coach Carmen Dolfo praised her team on their effort.
“I think they have the potential to do really well,” Dolfo said. “I think we're going to have to take care of the ball a little bit better.”
Western started the scrimmage with a 20-8 run in the first quarter, sparked by a steal from junior forward Rachel Albert.
In the second quarter, things got a little more contested as the two teams traded baskets nearly every possession, ending at 14-12.
With calls of “block out” being yelled by players on the bench and coaches on the sideline, the Vikings tried to focus on securing defensive rebounds for the remainder of the scrimmage.
“I thought that we played good defense, but good defense is finishing with a blockout,” Dolfo said. “We definitely had so many opportunities where we could have stopped them but we gave them another chance, so that was frustrating.”
After the end of the second half, Western outscored the Cardinals 47-13 in the third and fourth quarters combined. Junior forward Kiana Gandy provided consistent scoring and hustle while senior center Kayla Bernsen excelled under the basket, rebounding followed by putbacks.
Overall, the Vikings had flashes of superb defensive ability and a well-rounded offensive game, said Dolfo.
Next, the Vikings will face Fresno Pacific University to officially start off the season in the Humboldt State Invitational on Friday, Nov. 13.
