Sharpshooting Kester helps Sterling salt away Lutheran

Kester moved it ahead to Gabby Sandoval, who relayed it to Bauer for two of her 12 points. Two passes. Two dribbles. Five seconds. One dagger.

"I said, 'Hey, if we can run, by all means, let's do it. Let's just make sure we finish,'" Schroeder said. "But if they're back and we can run our offense and get good shots, let's do that.

"Really coachable tonight. They listened to everything we talked about."

Sophomore point guard Sandoval blanketed Konieczki and helped hold her to 10-for-26 shooting, six of those points coming on her only two 3s in the closing minutes. On the other end, Sandoval hit four straight free throws to put the victory on ice.

"Coach just told me to take a deep breath, soft touch, and they'll go in," Sandoval said.

Sandoval dished out five assists. Harris only scored three points, but handed out three assists to go with her 18 rebounds and two blocks.

"Tonight really epitomized the concept of playing together," Schroeder said. "Kiarra only had three points, but she was huge in every other aspect of the game."

Sterling enjoyed a 45-24 rebounding advantage. The Warriors seized an 11-0 lead 3 minutes into the first, the run including two 3s and a dime by Kester. After Bauer grabbed a rebound, she tore down the floor and was rewarded as Kester hit her at the free-throw line for a lay-up to go up 5-0.

"That's the chemistry of the two blondes," said Pearson, who scored 10 points for Sterling but, like Bauer, had to deal with foul trouble.

Pearson picked up her fourth foul late in the third. Bauer was whistled for two in the first.

"It's not fun," Bauer said. "My leg was shaking. I just really wanted to get in there and attack."

That was the mode Sterling was in all night. That is, until the Warriors methodically salted away the victory over the final 5 minutes.

The key, in Sandoval's eyes, was being ready to blitz the Crusaders right out of the gates.

"We've been the dark horse, like the paper says," Sandoval said with a grin. "My dad and I had to look it up. It's something coming up behind you, and you don't expect it."