Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. (Feb. 19, 2022) – The Whittier College women's basketball team executed well at points, particularly early, but ended up falling to Caltech in a close game on Senior Night.

Senior guard Teani White (Burbank, Calif. / Viewpoint) produced as she usually does, scoring 16 points to go with eight rebounds and five assists for a solid all-around line. No longer the slow starters they were over the first half of the regular season, the Poets imposed their will on Caltech early with a 19-13 first quarter that saw sophomore guard Kailynn Tuck (Portland, Ore. / Jesuit) lead scoring with seven points off the bench, three of which came on a deep ball just to the left of the top of the key. Though there was nothing to suggest in the early going that Whittier wouldn't be able to keep up its offensive pace, the Poets got caught up playing Caltech's game over the final three quarters, sending the Beavers to the line 19 times. While the Poets made the most of their opportunities at the line (9-of-10), they were not able to get their with enough frequency to counteract Caltech and fell in and out of their offensive rhythm as things progressed. Senior Daisy Cardenas (Santa Clarita, Calif. / Canyon), who joined White and forward Shaeleigh Wright (Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach Millikan) in being recognized on Senior Night, had a big contribution with two three-pointers, both off of passes from White, and freshman Rhe Nae Leach (Riverside, Calif. / John W. North) also got involved with 11 points in 29 minutes.

With the final game of the regular season now in the books, Head Coach Roy Dow and the Poets, locked in as the fourth-seeded team in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament will host fifth-seeded Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. The Poets swept the Athenas in both regular season meetings with a combined margin of victory of 22 points. The field will re-seed itself following the quarterfinals, but should the Poets be victorious they will play again on Thursday, Feb. 24 in the semifinals, site to be determined.

Follow and show support for your Whittier Poets on Twitter (@WCPoets), Facebook, YouTube and Instagram (@PoetAthletics)!