Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. (Nov. 20, 2021) – The Whittier College women's basketball team overcame a slow start to roll George Fox University on Saturday afternoon, leaning on its seniors to get them over the finish line.

The Poets outscored the Bruins in every quarter barring the first one, and began to figure out the visiting team defensively at around the mid-point of the second quarter. By the fourth quarter, scorers such as seniors Teani White (Burbank, Calif. / Viewpoint) and Daisy Cardenas (Santa Clarita, Calif. / Canyon) had heated up to such an extent that big baskets began to fuel bigger defensive possessions. By the game's final horn, the Poets held the Bruins to just three fourth-quarter points and zero field goals during that stretch while forcing eight of the visiting team's 23 turnovers on the game.

Whittier's slow start officially came to an end when Cardenas drilled one of her five three-pointers on the day to put the Poets up by one with five minutes to go in the third quarter. White, who made the dish on the trey, was as vital to the Poets' Saturday success as anyone, scoring 22 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists, notching her first double-double of the season while coming just four assists away from achieving a triple-double. As for Cardenas, four of her five three-point field goals came in the second half and 12 of her 15 points came over the final 20 minutes as well. Whittier also received a key contribution from junior guard Lainie James (La Habra, Calif. / Sonora), who closed the game with 11 points, and three different Poets notched at least two steals in a game where the Poets salvaged 13 takeaways from the Bruins.

While both teams finished Saturday's contest even in the rebound department, the Poets needed every rebound they were able to obtain. In addition to White, senior Shaeleigh Wright (Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach Millikan) carried the load on the glass with 10 rebounds in 25 minutes, four of which came on the offensive end. The Poets' strong effort on the glass also led to 18-4 differential in second-chance points to help deflate the Bruins. By game's end, the Poets' two-way success had successfully robbed their opponents of any kind of offensive rhythm, proving thus far to be a second-half team two games into the young season. 

Head Coach Roy Dow and the Poets will look to continue their impressive start to the 2021-22 campaign when they host the University of Puget Sound on Sunday, Nov. 21 at 3 p.m.

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