WHITTIER, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2025) – The Whittier College women's basketball team pulled off one of its biggest wins to date on Saturday afternoon when they defeated California Lutheran University, 72-66. While the Regals put up an excellent fight in the game's waning minutes, the Poets came out victorious in an emotional SCIAC battle and can now claim an 8-0 start to the conference schedule under new Head Coach Kristen Dowling.
When the chips were down, the senior duo of
Lorita Salloom (Santa Clarita, Calif. / Saugus / College of the Canyons) and All-American candidate
Rhe Nae Leach (Moreno Valley, Calif. / John W. North) delivered. The two players combined for 48 points and hit some huge shots down the stretch to seize control of the game back to the Poets. Whittier started fast with a 21-13 first quarter, and for a while, it appeared as though the Poets would not have to look back. However, the Regals found their stroke over the final two quarters, cut the Poets' lead by five in the third and even took the lead in the final quarter with four minutes to go. However, the Poets did well to stay out of foul trouble, and as a result had the service of its two top players when they needed them most. After Cal Lutheran took the lead, Whittier went on to outscore its opponent 13-4 over the final four minutes to secure the win.
The run began with a scoop and score underneath the basket by Leach followed by a similar play on the ensuing possession where Salloom grabbed an offensive rebound and knocked down a jumper to give the Poets their lead back. A defensive stop resulted in Leach knocking down a pair of free throws, and while Cal Lutheran did find an answer, senior guard
Kristen Lopez (Lancaster, Calif. / Lancaster /.Elmhurst University) would then deliver on a massive three-pointer off a pass from freshman
Kennedy Perkins (Tehachapi, Calif. / Tehachapi) to make it a two-possession game once again. In the end, the Poets showed massive improvements to their late-fourth quarter defense from the previous game, and managed to hold off a team that matches up to them as good as any SCIAC team.
Leach finished the game with 23 points to cap off another stellar offensive week (23-13-4), while Salloom went 25-15-3 in arguably the best single-game performance of any SCIAC player this week. She also shot 8-for-15 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free throw line. Perhaps just as notably, both Leach and Salloom each came away with seven offensive rebounds a piece, in a game where offensive rebounds ended up being more plentiful than defensive rebounds. Still, the game's overall offensive efficiency played into Whittier's hands. Sophomore guard
Yaneli Rosales (San Diego, Calif. / Mount Miguel) was able to capitalize on this in her own way, finishing the game with five assists.
Dowling and the Poets will begin their second lap through the SCIAC when they travel to Eagle Rock to face a tough Occidental College team on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.
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