Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Women's Basketball team failed to hold a 32-30 lead at halftime Tuesday night as the Tigers of Occidental College would roar back to edge the Poets 56-53 in the Graham Athletic Center.

13 players saw playing time for the Purple & Gold with Carly Buechler (Denver, CO) leading the charge with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting going 4-for-9 from deep that went with six rebounds.

Christine Miller (Gilbert, AZ) was the only other Poet in double figures as she chipped in with 11 points and four rebounds going 7-for-12 from the charity stripe. 

After putting up 86 points last game against Cal Lutheran, Whittier (5-10, 1-5 SCIAC) came out Tuesday and was held to just 23% shooting going 17-for-73 from the field as they saw their losing skid move to four games.

Oxy (6-9, 2-4 SCIAC) used a 16-11 third quarter that helped give them a lead late 46-43.  In the fourth the Poets had an opportunity to tie the game up trailing by three following two missed free throws from Dru Ishibashi and Erin Matsumoto under a minute to play but on the other end Buechler and Priscilla Rodriguez (East Los Angeles, Calif.) were unable to connect on the game tying triple on both possessions allowing the Tigers to escape with the road victory.

Ana Youngblood (Berkeley, Calif.) despite having just five points on the evening hauled in a game high 13 rebounds with seven coming on the offensive end that went with three blocks, two steals, and an assist.      

Whittier remains at home this week as they take on the University of Redlands this Saturday, January 23 beginning a 4:00pm.