Kourtney Zilbert '11 scored a game-high 22 points, but Whittier College came up short against the University of Redlands, losing 67-62 in the Graham Athletics Center on February 16.  The loss drops the Poets' record to 11-12 overall and 5-6 in SCIAC play while the conference-leading Bulldogs improve to 17-6 overall and 10-2 in the conference.

Zilbert also pulled down eight rebounds and was credited with three steals.  Rosario Rios-Aguilar '08 scored eight points and grabbed nine boards.  Tina Merlino '11 came off the bench and scored eight points in 14 minutes of action.

The Bulldogs relied on their outside shooting to take home the victory.  They finished with ten three-point field goals.  Valerie Katayama led the way with 19 points going 3-for-3 from long range.  She also had three assists and three steals.  Meghan Yetman scored ten points.  Rachae Bell finished with eight points and eleven rebounds.  Ali Bueno had nine points on three three-pointers.

The Poets held the lead throughout the first six minutes of the game, but Redlands answered from long distance.  A pair of three pointers gave Redlands a 12-7 lead with 13:31 left and they wouldn't trail again in the half.  Their largest lead of the half was ten points (35-25) one minute before the break.  Zilbert made a lay-up with eleven seconds left to cut the deficit to eight (35-27) at halftime.

Redlands opened the second half on a 6-0 run to take a 14-point edge.  They increased their lead to as many as 16 points (58-42) midway through the half.  It was at that point, with 9:26 remaining, the Poets fought back.  Rios-Aguilar got the comeback started with a lay-up and the Poets continued on a 14-1 run that left them down by just three (59-56) with 3:49 left in the game.  The Poets never got closer however, as Redlands made seven of their last nine free throws to seal the victory. 

Whittier held a slight edge on the glass, out rebounding the Bulldogs 41-37.  They also won the turnover battle 20-12, but the Bulldogs' were too hot from beyond the arc, shooting 55.6% in the game.

The Poets are now in fifth place in the conference, adding importance to each remaining game as they fight for the fourth and final spot in the SCIAC Tournament.  Their next match-up in on February 21 at Pomona-Pitzer.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30pm.