Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Women's Basketball team protected their home court Saturday afternoon as they rolled to the 77-55 victory over Caltech.

They have now won two of their last three and improve to 7-15, 4-9 SCIAC but will need to win out and get some help in order to make the SCIAC Post Season Tournament.

It was all Whittier Saturday as they made a statement from start to finish.  Amia Thrash (Eastvale, Calif.) poured in a team high 16 points going 5-of-10 from the field.  Jocelyn Calvillo (Costa Mesa, Calif.) lit it up from long range going 3-for-6 for 11 points in just 14 minutes of action and Ana Youngblood (Berkeley, Calif.) had 10 points and nine boards, one shy of a double double.

Despite being outsized, Whittier was able to win the rebounding margin 38-36, forced 38 Caltech turnovers and added 35 points off of them and had 34 points inside the paint. 

Both teams traded three-point baskets to start off the contest.  Whittier then built up a seven-point lead with 3:04 to play after a Christine Miller (Gilbert, AZ) jump shot and two free throws from Elizabeth Castillo (Montebello, Calif.).  But Kate Lewis would add back-to-back lay-ups in the final 1:30 that trimmed the Poets lead to three at the first break.

In the second, Caltech would add another two baskets that moved the score to 17-15 but again seven unanswered by the Poets would put WC well ahead.  Daniza Rodriguez (San Jose, Calif.) would convert a lay-up, and Carly Buechler (Denver, CO) would knock down a triple and lay-up that moved the score to 24-15.

But again CIT would battle back to close out the first half on an 8-2 run that pulled them once again within three.

Whittier put up another seven consecutive points to begin the third quarter with Thrash knocking down a three-pointer and lay-up and Kamila Auls (Long Beach, Calif.) adding a lay-up herself that helped give WC a 17-point lead heading into the fourth.

In the final period, Caltech battled back to pull within five but that's as close as they would get as Whittier would roll through to the lopsided victory.           

Whittier travels this week for two games as they take on Redlands on Tuesday, February 16 beginning at 7:30pm before traveling into Los Angeles to take on Occidental on Saturday, February 20 with tip-off set for 7:00pm.