Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – After a long week of studying, finals and preparation for consecutive home contests the Women's Basketball team felt the length dropping their fifth game of the season in the Graham Athletic Center 53-35 to Willamette University.

Shooting a season low 18% and a mere 35 points for the game, which included 10 in the first half, the Purple & Gold found it difficult to connect all night as all 11 players were held to single digit scoring efforts led by Carly Buechler (Denver, CO) who had eight points and four steals.

Amia Thrash (Eastvale, Calif.) tallied seven points and grabbed six boards. Ana Youngblood (Berkeley, Calif.) earned six points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Whittier owned a 6-4 advantage with 5:02 left in the first quarter after Buechler and Thrash connected on 3-point baskets. The Bearcats tied the game on a jumper by Marisa Hamilton and moved in front when Alex Wert hit 1 of 2 free throws at the 4:20 mark.

The Bearcats tacked on another eight points to complete an 11-0 run soon after. Ashley Evans hit a 3-pointer, Hamilton completed an old-fashioned three-point play, and Wert provided a jumper, giving WU a 15-6 lead with 54 seconds on the clock. Daniza Rodriguez (San Jose, Calif.) put in a free throw with 12 seconds left that stopped the run but in the second period it was all Bearcats as Willamette outscored the Poets 12-3.

Whittier recorded the first points of the session on a field goal by Kaylah Alexander (Altoona, PA) but the Bearcats responded with nine unanswered points for a 24-8 lead with 1:36 remaining in the half.

With 1:17 to go, Alexander would add another two points on a lay-in that stopped the run but Willamette's Towry would knock down a last second triple that gave WU a 27-10 lead at intermission. 

The Poets pulled within 13 at 29-16 by starting the second half with a 6-2 run capped off with a jumper from Thrash. Willamette followed with a 7-0 run of their own for a 36-16 advantage and Whittier never got closer than 16 points the rest of the game.

Whittier has a full week off for the Holidays before resuming practice this Saturday, December 26 in order to prep for the Purple & Gold Poet Classic set to take place December 28-30 with opponents including Ripon University and Concordia Chicago.