Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier College women's basketball team wrapped up their season sweep of Pomona-Pitzer Tuesday night as they held on for their third straight victory 79-72.

With the win the Poets move back to .500 at 12-12, 8-8 SCIAC as their 2014-15 season comes to a close. 

Sophomore Erica Houston (Stockton, Calif.) broke out for her biggest double double of the season finishing with 12 points and 18 rebounds.  Dannika Navales-Lugtu (San Francisco, Calif.) continued where she left off from Monday night as she picked up 18 points on 4-of-8 shooting in her final game of her collegiate career.

Whittier used a second half run to turn a 32-26 lead at the half into a 20-point lead at 59-39 with 10:41 to play.  However the Sagehens refused to give in, and got the lead down to single digits with 5:14 left on a three pointer from Hannah Green.

A layup from McKenna VanderKley and a jumper in the paint from Basha Brulee-Willis soon after would make it a one possession game at 68-65 at the 2:23 mark but Navales-Lugtu would come up with the dagger burying a three pointer with the shot clock winding down that pushed the lead back to six with 35 seconds left.  Haley Pienton knocked down a three pointer for the Sagehens with nine seconds left to close the lead to 77-72, but Whittier knocked down its final two foul shots that secured the victory.

Carly Buechler (Denver, CO) for the second straight game recorded double digit points with 15 to go with three assists and three steals.  Priscilla Rodriguez (East Los Angeles, Calif.) tossed in 15 points as well, while hauling in four rebounds and dishing out six assists, while Krishauna Leftridge (Washington D.C.) had nine points and nine rebounds off the bench.    

Navales-Lugtu is the lone senior leaving the Poet program as everyone else returns for the 2015-16 season under Head Coach Elizabeth Stanley as they look to make a push for a SCIAC Tournament bid.