Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – It came down to extra time Wednesday night as the Whittier College Women's Basketball team was unable to pull off what would have been the biggest upset of the season as they fell 80-74 to Chapman University.

The Panthers were on their heels all night as the Purple & Gold provided a threat with just eight players.  Despite being out of playoff contention the Poets put on a fight and had a look for the win with :29 seconds to play for the game winner off the hand of senior Carly Buechler (Greenwood Village, CO).

After a Megan Charles layup that tied things up in regulation at 67-67, Buechler was able to draw a foul on the Poets ensuing possession that sent her to the line to shoot two.  But she missed both allowing Chapman to come down with their own look for the game winner with just seconds left.  A hot was taken at the buzzer by CU, one official counted it but it was soon discussed that it was taken after time expired forcing the game into overtime. 

At that point the Panthers took over outscoring the Purple & Gold 13-7 in the extra period en route to the road victory.  After trailing 17-15 at the end of the first quarter, Whittier was able to come back strong in the second to add 16 points with six of them coming from freshman Cali Cubel (Oceanside, Calif.), which dead locked the game at 31-31 at the break.

In the third, Whittier stretched their lead outscoring CU by five.  They jumpstarted the frame with an 8-2 run and then added another eight unanswered that put them on top 47-40 at the 3:17 mark.

Margo Campos (Norwalk, Calif.) and Jazmyn Sudbrook-Johnson (Fremont, Calif.) would each add free throws down the stretch that kept the Poets out in front as they took a 52-47 lead into the final 10:00.

In the fourth, Whittier again stretched the lead this time to 61-52 with 6:56 to play but six in a row by the Panthers would bring them back into the contest tying things up at 61-61.

With 2:48 to play Buechler would then take over adding four free throws that gave WC a 67-65 lead but that's when Charles would come up big with a huge layup that forced the tie.

All five starters were in double figures.  Cubel finished with 16 on 7-of-11 shooting with four assists and three steals.  Ana Youngblood (Berkeley, Calif.) added a double double with 14 points and 15 boards, all coming in the second half and Emily Underwood (Nicholasville, KY) registered 12 points with three assists and a steal.

Both Margo Campos (Norwalk, Calif.) and Buechler each added 11 points. 

Whittier shot 53% from the floor, outrebounded Chapman 39-38 and held the edge 28-26 in the paint.  The difference was turnovers as Whittier turned it over 32 times with CU adding 31 points off of them.                     

Whittier enters their final home game this Saturday, February 18 as they host the University of Redlands for PAC the GAC with tip-off set for 5:00pm.