Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. - The Whittier College women's
basketball team led 58-51 with seven minutes left on the clock but
was outscored 18-6 down the stretch as Cal Lutheran knocked the
Poets out of the SCIAC postseason tournament with a 69-64 win on
Saturday evening.
Whittier (13-12, 6-8 SCIAC) had four players reach double
figures led by Brittany Aranda who netted a
game-high 18 points.
Kourtney Zilbert pulled down a game-high 11
rebounds to go along with her 10 points and Tina
Merlino and Keimi Lew each chipped in
with 10 points.
No lead by either team ever exceeded seven points and the game
was tied seven times.
Whittier entered the second half down four points and took its
first lead of the half at the 14:51 mark on a layup by Merlino. The
Regals (19-6, 11-3) tied the game on their ensuing possession but
Essence Scott's put back at 13:35 started a WC run
that stretched the purple and gold's advantage to seven points.
The Poets scored 16 of the next 25 points to take a 58-51 lead.
Cal Lutheran reclaimed the lead with eight straight points
(59-58) at the 5:40 mark but the Poets wouldn't go away.
Aranda hit a three-pointer that knotted the score at 61 and on
the WC's next possession she hit her second three in as many tries
to give the Poets a modest 64-63 lead.
However, that would be the final lead of the game for the Poets.
Whittier missed its final seven shots from the field while the
Regals made key free throws down the stretch to earn the win.
The Poets shot 43 percent from the field and had 16 assists on
its 26 makes from the floor.
WC forced Cal Lutheran into 21 turnovers and a 33 percent effort
from the three-point line.
Claremont-M-S will join Occidental, Redlands and Cal Lutheran in
the SCIAC postseason tournament. The Athenas locked up the fourth
spot in the playoffs with a win over Pomona-Pitzer.
