Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier College women's basketball team got back in the column on Thursday evening with a 67-58 win over Pomona-Pitzer in conference action at the Rains Center.

Kourtney Zilbert provided another solid performance as she helped the Poets to their first conference win of the season.

Zilbert had 15 points and 18 rebounds and Monica Salazar added 19 points in the nine-point victory. Zilbert was 5-of-15 from the field while Salazar knocked down 6-of-8 shots which includes a 2-for-4 effort from long range.

The Poets (7-6, 1-1 SCIAC) trailed 34-31 at the intermission after squandering a 14-point first half lead. Whittier scored the game's first 10 points and led 24-10 with 7:42 left in the half but the Sagehens closed on a 24-7 run to take the three-point cushion into the break.

Pomona-Pitzer (3-10) stretched its lead to six points with 14:06 left in the game before a modest 7-0 run gave the Poets a lead it would not relinquish.

Despite tying the game on two occasions the Sagehens could never get in front of the Poets. Amanda Apgar answered the first tie with one of her two three's on the game and a Zilbert jumper erased a 52-52 deadlock with 4:56 left in regulation.

Apgar finished with eight points off the bench.

Whittier sealed the win from the foul line where it connected on 6-of-8 attempts in the final three minutes of the contest.

The Poets created 26 Pomona-Pitzer turnovers and held a 31-14 advantage in points off turnovers. Zilbert added five steals to her double-double.

Alex Coon scored eight points and pulled down nine rebounds and Brittany Aranda had seven points, four boards and four assists in the win.

The Poets will return to action on Saturday evening as they host Claremont-M-S at 5 pm.