Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College women's basketball team suffered an 81-60 loss to Lewis & Clark Monday afternoon to wrap up the Purple & Gold Poet Classic moving their losing skid to ten games.

Freshman Priscilla Rodriguez (East Los Angeles, Calif.) led the Poet offensive unit for the second straight game landing on the All-Tournament Team after putting up 17 points on 6-17 shooting to go with five rebounds, and two steals.

The Pioneers jumped out quickly to a 7-0 lead and never looked back as they used a 10-1 run in the final 4:00 of the first half to go into the locker room up 42-25.

Out of the half, Lewis & Clark extended their lead to as many as 27 midway through 61-34.  Whittier fought back to pull within 18 with six unanswered from Rodriguez, Danielle Hays (San Diego, Calif.), and Dannika Navales-Lugtu (San Francisco, Calif.) but it would be a little to late as the Pioneers would hold on for the 21 point victory. 

Navales-Lugtu was the second highest scorer for the Poets with nine points, while Nicole Ruffino (Las Vegas, NV) chipped in with seven off the bench.

Lewis & Clark had three players record double figures led by tournament MVP Tayler Wang who finished with 16 points and nine boards.  She was joined by Ayisat Afolabi who had a game high 18 points and five boards and Katie Anderson who had a double double with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists. 

Whittier returns in the New Year to face Concordia (Calif.) this Saturday, January 4 beginning at 5:00pm in their final matchup with a non-conference opponent.