CLAREMONT, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2025) – Senior forward Lainie James (La Habra, Calif. / Sonora / Concordia University Irvine) of the Whittier College women's basketball team carried to scoring mantle down the stretch to help the Poets to a season sweep of the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens thanks to Wednesday's 68-53 win.
After picking up a decided victory over the Sagehens in the SCIAC home opener, the Poets had to contend with a tougher Pomona-Pitzer team that shot nearly 50 percent in the first half. Not to be outdone, Whittier showed that it, to, could be a scoring machine if the situation called for it, with junior Citlalli Gurrola (San Diego, Calif. / Mount Miguel / Miles CC | UNLV) taking the first-half scoring initiative. Gurrola connected on all four of her attempts from deep in the first half, helping to offset the home team's 29 first-half points. Additionally, the Poets had to contend with a more patient approach from the Sagehens, one that helped the home team cut its turnovers nearly in half from the two team's previous meeting.
While this would have seemingly limited fast break opportunities for junior guard Rhe Nae Leach (Riverside, Calif. / John W. North), the two-way star still managed to come ups with four steals while finding other ways to impact the game. Leach came four assists away from a triple-double and stood out particularly on the offensive glass in a game in which the Poets outrebounded their opponents, 34-25. The junior finished the game with a 14-15-6 line in one of her most complete performances of the season. Her execution was particularly impressive considering she finished the game with nary a foul to her name.
With a three-point lead in hand going into the break, the Poets came out in the second half with a point to prove, and shut down Pomona-Pitzer long enough to stretch their lead to 10 points before the final quarter. After a Pomona-Pitzer layup cut Whittier's lead down to just one point, the Poets unleashed an 11-0 run with a layup from Leach serving as the exclamation point. All three of Leach, James, and junior Lulu Salloom (Santa Clarita, Calif. / Saugus / College of the Canyons) factored in over this stretch, with James settling into a groove that ultimately put her team over the top. The junior led all scorers with 20 points in a game where four Poets reached double-figures: Leach, Salloom (13 points), and Gurrola (13 points).
The game's final 10 minutes featured a ton of scoring as Pomona-Pitzer pulled out all the stops while Whittier attempted to seal to game at the free throw llne. James helped the cause by converting on all four of her free throw attempts, while Whittier's ability to close games was put on full display. The Poets finished the game on a 12-4 run, accentuated by a three-pointer from junior guard Abby Pagila (Oakland, Calif. / Bishop O'Dowd) in the game's waning seconds. The win keeps Whittier very much in the running to secure the SCIAC regular season championship as well as the top seed in the upcoming SCIAC Postseason Tournament. The Poets are also 3.5 games up on the University of Redlands for the last spot in the tournament, and could soon clinch their own spot in the tournament provided they continue their winning ways.
Head Coach Roy Dow and the Poets will now head to Redlands on Saturday evening for a rematch of a game that saw the Poets mount a fourth-quarter comeback to win in overtime earlier this month.
Follow and show support for your Whittier Poets on Twitter (@WCPoets), YouTube and Instagram (@PoetAthletics)!
