LAS VEGAS – The No. 24 Carroll College women's basketball team looked to make a statement against some very tough competition this weekend at the Frontier Las Vegas Shootout in Las Vegas. The Saints did just that, going 3-0 on the weekend capped off with a 76-67 win over fifth-ranked Westmont Sunday evening.
 
Cassidy Hashley scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Saints over Westmont and cap a weekend where she scored 48 points over three games.
 
The win moves the Saints to 5-0 on the season with a pair of wins over top-25 teams. The Saints defeated The Master's 73-68 Friday and Menlo College, a 2014-15 NAIA D-II National Tournament team, 70-62 Saturday.


Westmont falls to 5-1 on the season.
 
The Saints led only once in the first half when a Baylee Watson hit a bucket with 7:49 left in the in the first quarter to put the Saints up 4-3 but the Warriors answered on their next possession to go up 5-4 to gain a lead that they would not relinquish until after halftime.
 
A 6-1 run to close the first quarter cut the Westmont advantage to 13-10 but the Warriors took complete control during the second quarter and built a 30-20 lead with 3:20 left in second quarter.
 
The Saints closed the half on a 6-0 run to cut the Westmont advantage to 32-29.
 
The first half belonged to the Warriors but the second half would be all Carroll College. Tied at 40, the Saints took the 42-40 lead on a Jordan Johnston bucket with 3:29 left in the third quarter and the Saints would never trail the rest of the game.
 
A pair of free throws from Julie Caputo put the Saints up 50-47 at the end of the third. Carroll built a 59-51 lead with 6:09 remaining before Westmont went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 59-58 but the Saints scored eight-straight to build a 67-58 lead.
 
Westmont again made a run to cut the lead to 67-65 with just over a minute to play but Hashley hit a shot, was fouled and made the ensuing free throw to push the Carroll lead 70-65 with 46 second left.
 
Carroll was 7-for-7 on free throws during the final minute to ice the game. Westmont added one shot in the final seconds for the final score of 76-67.
 
"It was a tremendous job by our team," head coach Rachelle Sayers said. "They bought into the game plan and the best part about this team is their belief in our team. They believe in each other and play for each other; no one cares who gets the credit."
 
The Saints were led by Hashley who had a huge second half leading Carroll to a 50-22 advantage in the paint but Johnston made some key shots when the Saints were trailing to keep Westmont from pulling away.
 
"Tonight it was Jordie Johnston who came thru when we were struggling," Sayers said. "Cassi Hashley did what she does, she was our go to and she delivered 24 points after going 1-3 in first half. We had 50 points in the paint, which is unbelievable."
 
Westmont guard Krissy Carr led the warriors with 19 points but was very inefficient going 7-27 from the field and 5-18 from the three-point line.
 
"Yet again Brittney Johnson was our defensive stopper. We put her on their PG and she held her to two points in the 2nd half," Sayers said. "I love what this team stands for and how bought in they are, we are definitely going to enjoy this one."
 
Along with Hashley's big game, Johnston tallied 16 points and Hannah Dean and Watson had 10 points and six rebounds each. Johnson had a game-high six assists.
 
The Saints were a solid 26-of-56 (46.4 percent) from the field despite going 0-for-8 from the three-point line. The Saints were 24-of-30 (80 percent) from the free throw line.
 
Carroll outrebounded Westmont 33-27 and held the Warriors to 23-of-60 (38.3 percent) from the field.
 
The Saints travel for three games in Oregon next weekend starting with Concordia in Portland, Friday night.