Lady Warriors fall at Life Pacific in Tight Match

The Nelson Lady Warriors' Women's Basketball team (1-7) hung tough in a resilient road battle at the Life Pacific University Warriors (6-2) in San Dimas, CA, falling 62-53 in a game that came down to a dual of Warriors spirts and defensive intensity.

The Lady Warriors stayed locked in throughout the opening quarter and into the second, trailing by just one point 13 minutes in as they traded buckets with Life Pacific in a scrappy, physical affair. Midway through the second stanza, the hosts unleashed a devastating 13-0 run over a four-minute stretch, putting Nelson in a deep, 14-point, hole. Undeterred, head coach Glenn Odonal kept his Warriors together as they slowly chipped away with poise, trimming the deficit back to seven by halftime through smart possessions and timely stops that kept the game from fully slipping away.

Coming out of the break, Nelson's defense turned into a wall, suffocating Life Pacific for just eight points in the third quarter while surging back with a quick burst to pull within two points in under five minutes. The battle continued into the fourth quarter as the Nelson women turned the game into a nail-biter, with the Lady Warriors repeatedly clawing the lead down to three points on multiple occasions, forcing the Life women to earn every point.

Ultimately, Life Pacific steadied the ship with an 11-5 closing rally to seal the victory, but Nelson's ability to stay competitive throughout, especially their defensive ability to limit runs and offensive tenacity to mount multiple comebacks, should leave Nelson fans eager for the ladies next home game, and a chance to cheer them onto victory.

The ultimate difference in the game may have been completely out of Nelson's control, as Life Pacific nailed a remarkable 23-24 from the free throw line. The Nelson defense however was stout throughout, holding the opponent Warriors to just 31.0% from the field and just 3-24 from beyond the arc.

Juliana Kirker led Nelson with 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Tatiana Ayala finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Gabrielle Haskie barely missed a double-double finishing with 7 points and 7 rebounds.

Adrianna Torres led all scorers with 15 points and 8-8 from the free throw line.

Up next for the Lady Warriors is the Southern Utah Thunderbirds on Saturday, November 29.

Do not forget to follow Nelson Athletics on X at @NelsonWarriors and Instagram at @nelsonwarriors.athletics.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!