LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Dec. 28, 2025) – The Whittier College women's basketball team delivered one of the most dramatic wins in program history on Sunday afternoon, completing the largest comeback in modern history with a 72–70 overtime victory over Bridgewater State University at the D3Hoops.com Classic. The Poets trailed by as many as 20 points with just 2:30 remaining in the third quarter before mounting a relentless rally that sent the game to overtime and ultimately ended with a thrilling last-second putback.
After a tightly contested first quarter, Bridgewater State seized control in the middle frames, building momentum behind efficient shooting and capitalizing on turnovers to stretch the lead deep into the third. Whittier struggled to find rhythm offensively early, shooting under 30 percent through the first three quarters, but never lost composure. As the third quarter wound down, the Poets began chipping away, setting the stage for a remarkable fourth-quarter surge.
Whittier exploded in the fourth, outscoring the Bears 26–13 behind a renewed defensive intensity and timely perimeter shooting. The Poets knocked down four three-pointers in the period and went a perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line, erasing the deficit and forcing overtime after locking down Bridgewater State's final possession of regulation.
Overtime was tense from start to finish. Whittier built a three-point lead with under 30 seconds remaining, only to see Bridgewater State connect from deep to tie the game once more. With the clock winding down and the game hanging in the balance, Xochitl Hood (Whittier, Calif. / Troy / Fullerton College) tracked down a crucial offensive rebound in traffic and calmly converted the putback with two seconds remaining, sealing the comeback and sending the Poets bench into celebration.
Kennedy Perkins (Tehachapi, Calif. / Tehachapi) and Shushan Krikorian (McLean, Va. / McLean / Glendale College) led the charge with matching 21-point performances. Perkins added 12 rebounds to record her second career double-double, setting a new NCAA career high in scoring while tying her career best on the glass. Krikorian's 21 points tied her collegiate career high and marked the first time she has surpassed the 20-point mark at the NCAA level. Hood delivered one of the most impactful performances of her young career, finishing with 13 points and eight rebounds, both NCAA career highs, while providing the game-winning basket.
Brooklyn Giles (Fairfield, Calif. / Early College High School / Cal State Los Angeles) continued her steady play on both ends of the floor with nine points and nine rebounds, while Jadyn Patterson (San Jose, Calif. / Valley Christian / California State University, Stanislaus) turned in her strongest all-around performance of the season. Delaney Castagna (Carmel, Calif. / Carmel / Arizona Christian University) helped anchor the defense with one of her best defensive outings of the year, and freshman Helen Rosales Beltran (San Diego, Calif. / Lincoln) provided valuable minutes late, helping Whittier maintain pressure in crucial possessions. Jayden Borgna (Ukiah, Calif. / Ukiah / City College of San Francisco) also made her return from injury, recording the first assist and steal of her NCAA career in her second appearance of the season.
The victory lifts Whittier to 4–4 overall as the Head Coach Kristen Dowling and the Poets continue play at the D3Hoops.com Classic. Whittier will close the event with a matchup against Wesleyan University on Tuesday, December 30, at 2 p.m. in Las Vegas.
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