Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Women's Basketball team put together their most impressive win this season Saturday as they held on for a 68-67 victory over Chapman University.
Whittier keeps their winning streak intact at five games as they improve to 10-6, 4-2 SCIAC. They currently sit 2nd in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) standings by themselves. It's also the second straight year WC has earned a win against the Panthers as they move to 2-13 against Chapman.
The game included six ties and four lead changes. Whittier held the largest lead at nine, which came with 1:31 to go in the opening quarter. But Chapman managed to fight back to take a six point lead a minute into the third. The fireworks came over the final 2:00 minutes. After a Teani White (Burbank, Calif.) layup that put WC on top 65-57, the Poets got unlucky after getting a stop. Emily Guerena (Montebello, Calif.) would get called for an offensive foul following the defensive board, which gave the ball back to CU, which they would use as Julia Strand would knock down a jumper making it a six-point game.
Things got worse for the Purple & Gold after that as White would turn the ball over on the very next possession again giving the ball back to CU. That next trip down for the Panthers they would use to get another point this time from the free throw line. With :36 seconds left to play Whittier held a 65-60 advantage but that advantage wouldn't hold as another two free throws from Brittany McPherson would make it a three-point game. A quick foul would send Cali Cubel (Oceanside, Calif.) to the line to shoot two. She would go one for two, which proved crucial as Chapman would add a layup and three free throws to cut the margin to one.
The Panthers had one last look for the win following a missed free throw from Guerena with :04 seconds to go, but the final three-point attempt from McPherson would be off the mark.
White finished with a team high 18 points and Cubel added 16 points with three assists and three steals. The big stat line on the game came from Guerena off the bench who put up a huge game with eight points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals and four blocks.
Whittier was red hot from the floor shooting 55% from the field, which included a 23.5% clip from behind the arc. They were outrebounded 37-26 but earned a huge edge in the paint 40-16. They also earned 34 points off turnovers and dished out 15 assists.
Whittier remains at home this Wednesday, January 15 when they host Pomona-Pitzer beginning at 7:00pm.
