Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. - The Whittier College men's basketball team kept its Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoff hopes alive on Saturday evening with a 66-62 win over visiting Pomona-Pitzer at the Graham Athletics Center.

The Poets (9-10, 3-6 SCIAC) had four players reach a double figures, which includes Willie Mebane who scored 13 off the bench, in the winning effort.

Mebane added four assists, all of which came on the offensive end of the floor, three assists, one steal and a block for the game. Whittier's leading scorer was the conference's top man in that department, Drew Menez.

The junior forward scored the first 10 points of the game for the Poets and finished with 19 on 7-of-14 shooting.

DaMon Perry recorded his ninth double-double of the season with a 14-point, 13-rebound, outing.

The first half featured three lead changes, five tied scores and a David Hayashi three-pointer at the end of the half to give WC a 34-31 lead at the break.

Whittier led for all but 10 seconds of the second half.

Pomona-Pitzer was able to tie the score at 44 with 12:13 to play but on the ensuing possession Zach Corns finished a feed from Mebane to put the Poets back on top, 46-44.

The Poets used a 12-3 run over the next 5:30 of the game to extend its advantage to 58-47 with 6:30 remaining in the contest.

The Sagehens (10-10, 6-3 SCIAC) cut the lead to three points with just over one minute to play but a pair of free throws by Mebane and an easy layup in the waning seconds by the freshman sealed the win for the purple and gold.

Hayashi finished the game with 13 points, four rebounds and three assists.

As a team the Poets shot 41 percent from the field and held Pomona to just a 17-of-59 (29 percent) effort.

Whittier returns to the hardwood on Wednesday, February 10, as it takes on La Verne, on the road, at 7:30 pm.