Siamu's 21 Points Catapult Hawks Past Westmont

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Led by junior forward, Ausage Siamu's 21 points, the San Diego Christian College Hawks defeated the Westmont College Warriors 68-63 on the road.

Nothing is ever easy in the Golden State Athletic Conference. Coach Dwayne Cosby's men have been playing their hearts all season, and have shown the rest of the conference that they are a force to be reckoned with. Although they have been handed a few heartbreaking defeats this season, the Hawks continue to respond after each one with a gutsy performance. Tonight was no different.

The opening minutes of the first half provided an intense back-and-forth with the teams repeatedly exchanging the lead. The Hawks spread the wealth early on as all five starters scored in succession.

San Diego Christian were the first to make a strong charge and develop some separation. With the score tied 11-11 after nine and a half minutes of play, Siamu put the Hawks out in front with a made free-throw. SDCC's Jonah Felix would then make a layup and spark a 20-12 run to close out the half and give the Hawks a 31-23 lead.

During the first fourteen minutes of the second half, the Warriors came roaring back. The teams once again began to exchange points and the lead. The final three minutes proved that the victory would go to the team that wanted it the most. The Hawks decided they were not going to be denied tonight. Ausage Siamu continued to pound the Warriors on offense, scoring multiple times down the stretch. His authoritative dunk with 13 seconds remaining put the Hawks up by three points and forced the Warriors into desperation fouling. Cameron Dashiell cooly made two free throws with one second remaining to ice the game.

San Diego Christian's defense, led by the GSAC's top rebounder, Greg Chew, came up huge. The senior forward's game-leading 12 rebounds allowed SDCC multiple second-chance opportunities and help keep the Warriors' hands off of the ball. As a team, the Hawks also minimized the number of fouls they committed, keeping Westmont off the free-throw line. However, it was the Hawks' offense that really made the difference in the game. Shooting 50% from the field, SDCC made their shots count when it mattered most.

Leading the charge for San Diego Christian was junior forward Sage Siamu, who led all scorers with 21 points. Siamu consistently penetrated the Warrior's defense and earned tough points in the paint. His presence in the key kept Westmont off balance all evening and his play over the final minutes of the game was instrumental in the victory.

In addition to Siamu, junior guard Jonah Felix rose to the occasion and dropped 12 points and 4 rebounds. The hard work of Cameron Dashiell (9 points), Josh O'Campo (9 points, 4 assists), and Ryan Blackmon (8 points, 3 rebounds) also contributed greatly to the hard-fought win.

UP NEXT

The Hawks travel to Santa Clarita to take on The Master's University Mustangs on Saturday, February 4. Tipoff is set for 7:30 at the conclusion of the women's game.