Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Women's Basketball team made history Wednesday night on the road locking up the No. 2 seed in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament following a 65-45 victory over Pomona-Pitzer.
The Purple & Gold have now wrapped up the season sweep over the Sagehens, have put together a three-game winning streak and improve to 17-7, 11-4 SCIAC. With the win they have also secured an opening tournament round home game, the first in program history, which is set for next Thursday, February 27 at 7:00pm. Their opponent will be determined Saturday between Claremont-M-S and Pomona-Pitzer.
It was a hot start for the Poets putting together a 6-0 run early with layups from Teani White (Burbank, Calif.) and Dallas Martinez (Kaneohe, HI) that covered almost three minutes. After the game became tied at 8-8, Whittier then finished off the quarter on a 7-1 run with Allison Lou (Cerritos, Calif.) connecting with back to back jumpers and White adding a free throw and basket that moved the score to 15-9.
The momentum for the Purple & Gold carried into the 2nd Quarter with freshman Lizzie Scriven (Portland, OR) hitting a jumper six seconds in extending their lead to 17-9. PP responded with a 6-0 run that got them within two, but over the next 2:23 the game would remain scoreless until Bella Robles (Lompoc, Calif.) was able to answer inside. The lead extended to six following a pair of free throws from White and it then moved to nine in the closing minutes of the half as Daisy Cardenas (Santa Clarita, Calif.) would connect from deep giving WC a 28-21 advantage at intermission.
The Sagehens provided some pushback out of the break cutting into the Poets lead and getting within three at 33-30. But the Whittier offense was too much as they would increase their lead to double digits following nine unanswered that covered the final 5:22 of the quarter. This moved the score to 42-30 and they didn't look back putting up the first six points in the 4th as they would extend their lead to as many as 21 in the final minutes.
Whittier shot 54.3% from the floor and 20% from three-point territory. They outrebounded the Sagehens 32-29, won the battle in the paint 30-16 and provided 20 points off 22 PP turnovers.
White led all scorers with 21 on 6-of-12 shooting, while going 9-of-13 from the free throw line. She also added three assists, three rebounds and three steals. Shaeleigh Wright (Long Beach, Calif.) and Martinez each recorded eight points with Wright adding four rebounds and Emily Guerena (Montebello, Calif.) would post three points and six boards. Lou off the bench finished with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting with three dimes and two steals.
Whittier wraps up their regular season this Saturday, February 22 when they take on first place Redlands beginning at 7:00pm.
