Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. (Jan. 15, 2022) – Freshman Rhe Nae Leach (Riverside, Calif. / John W. North) of the Whittier College women's basketball team had a career-high seven steals to help the Poets mount a second-half comeback on Pomona-Pitzer Colleges to force overtime in Wednesday's SCIAC road tilt.

Leach's seven steals, in fact, were more than any SCIAC player has registered in a single game all season. The freshman proved to a be a model of consistency without the ball in her hands on Wednesday night, and has quickly proven herself to be one of the conference's top on-ball defenders just 13 games into her career. The freshman's consistency began to help pay dividends as the game rolled along, as the Poets went on to outscore the Sagehens in every period with the exception of the first quarter and five-minute overtime period. The combination of senior guard Teani White (Burbank, Calif. / Viewpoint) and junior forward Lainie James (La Habra, Calif. / Sonora), the teams' two leading scorers, proved to be a big reason why, accounting for half of the visitors' 58 points for the game. Additionally, James locked up the second double-double of her Whittier career with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

As time progressed, the Poets began to find holes to exploit in the paint and went on to outscore the Sagehens, 26-18 in that area as well 16-7 on second-chance on points. After finding themselves in a 13-point hole to open the second frame, the Poets clawed their way back behind a second quarter that featured six different scorers and a second half in which they were able to limit the home team to just 16 points. Sophomore guard Kailynn Tuck (Portland, Ore. / Jesuit) played a big role in the effort, picking up some key minutes down the stretch while scoring seven points to go with six rebounds. Four of her rebounds came on the offensive glass, as have a combined 7-out-of-10 over her last two games, and it was one of Tuck's free throws that helped stake the Poets to a two-point lead, capping off a 6-0 run that also featured big shots from White and senior forward Shaeleigh Wright (Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach Millikan). A late Pomona-Pitzer layup with 17 seconds on the clock would extend the game, however, and the Poets unfortunately ran out of gas over the game's final minutes. White, who led Whittier with 15 points, also had nine rebounds and five assists in another solid all-around line, moving her season averages to 18.3/8.1/5.0 on the year.

Head Coach Roy Dow and the Poets will have a great chance to re-enter the win column on the road when they take on Occidental College on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 4 p.m. The Poets handled the Tigers in the two teams' previous meeting in Whittier, 64-50.

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