Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Women's Basketball team proved a tough test at home for the No. 2 ranked Bruins of George Fox University Friday night in the Graham Athletic Center during their home opener.

Despite it being a 21 point loss the Purple & Gold showed they can compete with anyone in the country as they used a 9-0 run during the first quarter with a jumper and free throw coming from Daniza Rodriguez (San Jose, Calif.), a triple from Carly Buechler (Denver, CO), followed immediately by Elizabeth Castillo (Montebello, Calif.) who knocked down a baseline jumper and free throw that pulled them within three 18-15.   

But that's as close as they would get as GFU would close out the first ten minute segment with their own run of seven straight that gave them a 10-point cushion.

In the second it was all Bruins outscoring WC 23-6 that gave them their largest lead of the game at 48-21.

But in the second half it was all Whittier, pouring in 18 points in the third quarter before outscoring the Bruins 23-13 in the fourth behind Buechler's eight points going 2-for-3 from behind the arc, while sophomore Alina Bonto (Dededo, Guam) chipped in with six off the bench in just seven minutes of action.

But the deficit was too much to overcome as the Poets couldn't complete the comeback seeing their record fall to 1-4, while George Fox remains undefeated on the season at 7-0. 

Buechler led the Poets with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting that went with four assists.  Castillo had seven off the bench, while three players recorded six points coming from Amia Thrash (Eastvale, Calif.), Christine Miller (Gilbert, AZ), and Bonto.

Thrash also had a game high 12 rebounds, three assists, and three steals, while Ana Youngblood (Berkeley, Calif.) went five and eight in points and boards.

Whittier remains at home for the next four games as they host Pacific (6:00pm) and Willamette (4:00pm) next Friday and Saturday, December 18 and 19 before taking part in the Purple & Gold Poet Classic December 28 against Ripon (Ripon) and December 30 against Concordia Chicago (4:00pm).