Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

PASADENA, Calif. – The Whittier College Women's Basketball team acted as spoiler for senior Stephanie Wong of Caltech who became the Beavers all-time leading scorer surpassing the 1,241 point bench-mark set by Lindsay King '08.

Whittier (5-12, 2-6 SCIAC) used a big first quarter to edge the Beavers 56-53 Tuesday night en route to snapping their five-game losing skid.

Despite being outshot from the field (41.7%-25.6%), three-point territory (38.5%-26.3%), and the free throw line (80%-44.4%) by CIT, the Purple & Gold managed to force 36 turnovers, which led to a 34-shot advantage and 33 points. 

After trailing 9-3 to open the first quarter, the Poets rolled in the final five minutes outscoring the Beavers 14-0 with five points coming from Ana Youngblood (Berkeley, Calif.), and triples coming from Carly Buechler (Denver, CO), and Daniza Rodriguez (San Jose, Calif.).

Wong would start off the scoring in the second quarter for CIT with a three-pointer that cut the deficit to five.  But sophomore Alina Bonto (Dededo, Guam) would come off the bench and provide some much needed offense for WC as she added two three-pointers and a lay-up for eight consecutive points moving the lead to 13. 

Caltech managed to put together a late 9-3 run in the final minutes of the frame but they would still find themselves trailing by seven at intermission. 

In the third, Whittier put together an impressive 10 minutes stretching their lead to 16 at the 6:27 mark led by Buechler who knocked down back to back triples but CIT would battle back with an 11-6 run that wrapped up the third quarter keeping the deficit at 11.

In the fourth, Whittier was held scoreless for the first two and a half minutes, while Caltech poured in 10 unanswered, which made it a one-point game.  Whittier regained some breathing room soon after with back to back jumpers from Priscilla Rodriguez (East Los Angeles, Calif.) and Elizabeth Castillo (Montebello, Calif.) that stretched the lead back to five but again the Beavers wouldn't go away as they would pull back within one on two more occasions at the 5:43 and 3:57 marks.

But the dagger would come for the Beavers on a three ball with 1:55 to play from Castillo.  A lay-up from Nika Haleftiras would keep the game at two points immediately following and Whittier's Kaylah Alexander (Altoona, PA) would knock down one of two free throws, which kept it at a one possession game.

Caltech would turn the ball over on their next possession and after a missed three-pointer from Castillo with 24 seconds left to play, CIT would get one last opportunity.  Wong got free and was able to get off a shot but it clanged off the iron as the Poets would escape with the three point victory.

Buechler finished with 17 points knocking down five three-pointers.  Alexander and Youngblood both had nine rebounds, Castillo had four steals, and Bonto shot 50% from the field finishing with eight points in 10 minutes of action. 

Whittier returns home this Saturday, January 30 as they host Pomona-Pitzer beginning at 4:00pm.