Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
ORANGE, Calif. – The Whittier College women's basketball team overcame a twenty point halftime deficit Saturday evening at Hutton Sports Center and threatened by getting within four points late in the second half but it wasn't enough as the Panthers of Chapman University would hold on for the 66-62 victory.
Whittier remains winless on the season at 0-8, 0-3 SCIAC, while Chapman improves to 4-2, 2-1 SCIAC sitting in a fourth place tie with Pomona-Pitzer.
It was a tale of two halves Saturday evening for both programs. Whittier shot a mere 30% in the first half and turned the ball over 19 times en route to trailing 38-24 at the break. But in the second, Whittier rebounded behind freshman Priscilla Rodriguez (East Long Angeles, Calif.) who tossed in 11 of her career high 14 points off the bench helping the Purple & Gold outscore CU 38-28, while forcing 19 turnovers.
With 2:45 to play in regulation, Whittier pulled within four after an Ashley Genie (Whittier, Calif.) jumper and then got within three on their very next possession after a Margo Campos (Norwalk, Calif.) three pointer, but key offensive rebounds and two critical turnovers in the final minute of play helped Chapman preserve the four point victory.
Genie finished with a career and season high 16 points on 8-14 shooting and grabbed her first double double of the season collecting 14 rebounds, while Carly Buechler (Greenwood Village, CO) and Campos had seven points a piece.
For Chapman, sophomore Sandra Gao led all scorers with a double double finishing with 18 points and 12 boards, while Natalie Ebrahimian provided 15 points off the bench.
For the game, Whittier totaled 28 points off turnovers, and held the advantage on the glass 50-47 and with bench points 33-26.
The Poets will return to the court after a week long break for the holidays when they take part in the 42nd Annual Purple & Gold Poet Classic on Dec. 29-30 when they will take on Pacific Union and Lewis & Clark.
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