WHITTIER, Calif. (Dec. 28, 2024) – Dave Jacobs Court was the site of yet another victory for the Whittier College women's basketball team, who defeated Brooklyn College of the CUNY conference, who came in with a record of 5-5.
The Poets' most consistent offensive threat, senior guard
Rhe Nae Leach (Moreno Valley, Calif. / John W. North), led the team in scoring, dropping in 15. Other major scoring contributions came from forward
Lorita Salloom (Santa Clarita, Calif. / Saugus / College of the Canyons) and guard
Jordan Taylor (Oakland, Calif. / Oakland Technical). Both players had 14, and in Taylor's case, this was a season high so far in points. She got it done primarily from deep, knocking down a career-best four three-pointers. Team baskets were spread fairly evenly among all four quarters, with the second quarter proving to be the Poets' standout frame. The team scored 24 points over this stretch, shooting 64% from the field.
Totaling 67 points at the end of the game to Brooklyn's 47, the women safely secured their eighth win of the season, allowing them to further build on their momentum going into their final pre-season game in a few days and conference games to follow. The early season success appears to be largely attributed to their strong team cohesion on the court, the talent of a few very skillful players, and positive coaching; last night being a good example of all these things, as it led to an efficient, and at the same time surgical performance both with and without the ball.
The flow of the game made for a great opportunity for Head Coach
Kristen Dowling to utilize the full roster, as the rotation included almost all active players by the end. The Poets outscored the Bulldogs in every quarter except the last, but the gap was already substantial enough to prevent Brooklyn from catching up. With a 36-13 lead at halftime, the Bulldogs lacked both time and firepower to counter Whittier's consistent offense that continued throughout the last two quarters, not to mention the home team's strong defense as well. The energy the Poets showcased is the same energy that allowed them to arrive at this point in the season with a winning record. The momentum should help carry them into SCIAC play next week.
To kick off the New Year, Coach Dowling and the Poets will face Nelson University at home on January 3rd at 2 p.m. in their final competition before conference begins.
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