GIRLS’ BASKETBALL / GOLDEN WEST LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Schult’s Performance Keeps Westminster in the Thick of Race

Westminster’s Kristin Schult may play in the shadow of teammate Amber Farroux, but she showed Thursday night why the Lions are in the middle of a league title race.

And why first-place Ocean View shouldn’t get complacent.

Schult scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead Westminster to a 49-37 Golden West League victory over visiting Santa Ana. The victory keeps the Lions within a game of Ocean View.

Santa Ana (12-9, 2-4 in league) was hoping to show it is also a force in the league race. Santa Ana entered the newly formed league with three more victories than any other team (10) but has fallen on hard times since.

Westminster (13-8, 5-1), expected to provide a challenge--along with Rosary--for the league title, but the Lions took a chance by resting Farroux (foot injury) and April Ramirez (flu) this week in practice. They also added some new twists to their offensive scheme. And they still won.

Though the Lions weren’t always in sync, they didn’t have to be.

They made up for 29 turnovers by shooting 44% (20 for 45) from the field and holding Santa Ana to 23% (14 for 60).

They won by not trying to force the ball to Farroux (eight points, five rebounds)--a sin Westminster committed one week earlier against Ocean View, a 53-39 loss in a battle of the league’s unbeaten teams.

Schult, averaging 10 points and seven rebounds a game, was the benefactor against Santa Ana.

“I think we’re finally beginning to work together as a team,” said Schult, a 6-foot-2 junior who made eight of 13 field goal attempts.

Said her coach, Dick Katz: “I think our girls are starting to learn to take what the defense gives you. When they double team (Farroux), go to Kristin.”

Westminster held a 10-point halftime lead, but Schult scored the first six points of the second half to spark a 10-0 run. Through three quarters, the Lions had made 49% of their shots (18 for 37).

Leading by 18 entering the fourth, the Lions went 5 minutes 10 seconds without scoring, and the Saints cut the lead.

Westminster’s first victory over Santa Ana this season was much closer, 45-39, and Katz expressed concern over this matchup because the Lions can’t afford to lose. Now Katz is looking at Tuesday’s game against third-place Rosary (11-4, 3-2) with the same concern.

“If we don’t beat them,” Katz said, “the rematch against Ocean View (13-7, 5-0) is meaningless.”

The rematch is the last game of the season.

In other league games:

Saddleback 38, Tustin 35--Nicole Wiora scored 21 points for the Roadrunners (5-14, 1-6), which outscored Tustin, 24-17, in the second half. Tustin is 9-12, 1-5.