Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
REDLANDS, Calif. – The Whittier College Women's Basketball team proved a tough test for the University of Redlands Saturday afternoon but couldn't come away with the victory as they fell 64-50.
The loss snaps a two-game winning streak by the Purple & Gold as they drop to 4-3, 1-2 SCIAC.
The opening quarter was back and forth and all tied up at 9-9 with 2:34 to play following a triple from Cali Cubel (Oceanside, Calif.). But over the final 2:00 minutes it was all UR going on a 5-1 run to take a 14-11 lead. Whittier put together five in a row to jumpstart the 2nd Quarter behind a Shaeleigh Wright (Long Beach, Calif.) jumper and an and one by Teani White (Burbank, Calif.) to get within two at 17-15.
But a 9-0 run by the Bulldogs would open things up with 3:00 minutes to play that made it an 11-point deficit. Trailing 29-17 with :33 seconds to go, the Poets made one final push to end the half with Bella Robles (Lompoc, Calif.) and Wright both adding layups that cut the deficit to single digits.
It was a change of momentum in the 3rd Quarter with the Poets outscoring the Bulldogs 20-14 led by Cubel who poured in 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting. A 9-2 run by WC got things started making it a four point game. A few minutes later they then strung together six unanswered that gave them a 36-35 advantage. But this lead wouldn't hold as UR would come back with eight points over the final 2:25 that gave them a two-point edge.
Back to back three-pointers from Marisa Urbano-Sedlund and Alexis Machain jump-started an 11-2 run for the Bulldogs to start the 4th. A few minutes later they would add another run this time with seven in a row that moved the score to 61-46. Freshman Dallas Martinez (Kaneohe, HI) tried to keep the Poets in it with a pair of layups but it wouldn't be enough to spark a comeback as Whittier would fall by fourteen.
Cubel finished with 13 points on the game and White added 12 points and four boards. Wright added nine points, six boards, and three steals and Emily Guerena (Montebello, Calif.) in her first game back from injury chipped in with eight points and four boards off the bench.
Whittier shot 38% from the field and 20% from behind the arc. They were outrebounded 43-25 but added 24 points in the paint and 15 points off turnovers.
Whittier has the week off and will return to the court this Sunday, December 15 when they open up the Purple & Gold Poet Classic against Hardin-Simmons at 5:00pm.
