Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotograhy.com

WHITTIER, Calif. –The Whittier College women's basketball team finished their final home game of the regular season with a loss to the Leopards of the University of La Verne 86-64 on senior day. 

Whittier now drops into sixth place with the loss and are now 7-17, 4-9 SCIAC, while La Verne moves into fifth place with a 6-13, 5-8 SCIAC record. 

The Poets recognized their three seniors this evening who were playing in their final home game of their collegiate career.  These seniors included starters Keimi Lew (West Covina, Calif.), Brittany Aranda (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.), and Tanisha White (Fresno, Calif.). 

Four Poets scored in double figures and White finished with her second double double of the season tallying 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting to go along with 10 boards. She also collected two assists and two steals. 

Alex Coon who is averaging just under 10 ppg finished with 10 points and six boards, while Aranda barely missed a double double by collecting a game high 16 points on 4-of-14 shooting to go with 9 boards.

Lew who ran the point tonight for the Poets along with Dannika Navales-Lugtu finished with 11 points, four assists, and two steals.

La Verne who was coming into tonight's contest after setting the Div. III record for three pointers in a game again came out firing from long range connecting on 13-38 from behind the three point line for 34%, while shooting 35% from the field. 

Whittier outrebounded the Leopards 57-51 and had 17 second chance points but the depth of the Leopards was too much as La Verne outscored the Poets bench 39-12.  Whittier turned the ball over 28 times and the Leopards capitalized off of them by scoring 31 points, which proved to be the difference late in the game.

La Verne jumped out to a 5-0 lead early and then extended the lead to 11-6, but Whittier mounted a comeback and stayed around always staying within two or three points.  Then at the 10:55 mark, La Verne started to widen their lead after back to back threes from Kelly Kika and Brittni Tapia moving the score to 21-11. 

They then went on a 13-0 to move the scoring margin to 35 but the Poets came back and went on a 7-1 run around the 2:00 mark but the Leopards closed out the half with four point's to go into the break up 49-23.

Coming out of the break Whittier continued to fight and tried to get back into the game trying to play more physical and up tempo behind a 9-4 run to open up the second half and then an 8-3 run immediately following.  But La Verne managed to maintain their lead and stayed composed as Whittier went on a 7-2 run late to cut the lead to 15 but the deficit was too much to overcome as La Verne sank 5-6 free throws to seal the victory.   

The Poets play in their final regular season game this coming Saturday, February 18 as they travel to Pomona-Pitzer to take on the Sagehens beginning at 5pm.