Westmont seniors Kelsie Sampson and C.J. Miller have each been selected as the inaugural 2013-14 Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Basketball Players of the Week. Sampson hails from Torrance while Miller calls La Verne his home.

In three games last week, Sampson tallied 70 points (23.3 per game) and 15 rebounds (5.0 per game). Against Dordt (Iowa) on December 31, the 6-1 forward posted a career high 35 points. In 12 games this season, Sampson is averaging 20.3 points and 7.4 rebounds.

“Kelsie has been playing at a high level all year,” said Westmont women’s basketball head coach Kirsten Moore. “She has been consistently able to perform against defenses that are trying to shut her down.

With 920 points in her career, Sampson is on pace to become the eleventh women’s player to reach 1,000 points.

Sophomore guard Esther Lee drilled five three-point buckets on her way to 20 points and Kelsie Sampson scored 21, but it wasn’t enough as the Thunderbirds of British Columbia posted a 68-56 win over #8 Westmont Women’s Basketball (8-4) on Thursday afternoon in Murchison Gymnasium.

The Warriors were held to just 28.0 percent shooting in the second half and 37.7 percent for the game. The Thunderbirds shot 50.9 percent over the scope of the contest.

“UBC is a really good team and it was good for us to play them in preparation for the upcoming GSAC (Golden State Athletic Conference) season,” said Westmont head coach Kirsten Moore. “It showed us some things we can continue to get better at. (After) every loss we have had this year, we have improved. That is my goal from today.”

With the Warriors leading 18-17 midway through the first half, the Thunderbirds went on a 15-3 run to go up 32-21 with 3:19 to play. Lee responded with a three-point field goal with three minutes remaining in the opening frame and was fouled on the shot. Her four-point play was followed by a jumper by Sampson and another three by Lee to reduce the deficit to just two points (32-30).

[box score] [more photos]

Kelsey Sampson made 13 of 22 shots from the floor and nine of 11 from the charity stripe to lead Westmont Women’s Basketball to a 73-59 win over Dordt of Iowa (8-7). Sampson’s 35 points is a career high for the senior forward, exceeding the 33 points she scored on December 16 against Great Falls. She missed a double-double by one, finishing with nine rebounds.

“Kelsey was able to get us going on a night when we were having a hard time putting the ball in the basket from the perimeter,” said Westmont head coach Kirsten Moore.

An early layup by Esther Lee (6 points) gave the Warriors a lead which they held for the first nine minutes of the game. With 10:23 to play, however, the Defenders’ Abby Chapman tied the game at 12 with a three-pointer. Dordt then held the lead until just under four minutes to play when Lauren Sende (5 points, 3 rebounds) scored on a layup to make it a 20-20 game. Sampson scored the next four points, all on free throws. The Warriors ended the first half with a 29-25 advantage.

[UC Merced- San Diego Christian box score] [Dordt-Westmont box score]