LAS VEGAS, Nev. (Dec. 30, 2025) – Led by two excellent offensive performances from sophomore
Kennedy Perkins (Tehachapi, Calif. / Tehachapi) and junior
Xochitl Hood (Whittier, Calif. / Troy / Fullerton College), the Whittier College women's basketball team became the first Whittier basketball team to sweep the D3Hoops.com Classic at the South Point Hotel & Casino.
Tuesday marked the second time at the showcase the Poets exceeded 70 points, which resulted in the team turning in another standout performance for the first half of the 2025-26 season. Perkins and Hood had already starred the team's 20-point comeback against Bridgewater State University a couple days prior, and both players turned in another strong showing by each shooting 50% from the field. Perkins got it done from all areas of the floor -- knocking down a pair of treys while shooting 6-for-7 at the free throw line and working Wesleyan over in the paint. Perhaps the most notable thing about Perkins' offensive day was the fact that she scored 20 points in just 19 minutes of action, proving to be an explosive weapon for the upstart Poets.
Hood led all Poets with nine rebounds on a day in which they outrebounded their opponents by 25%. Because of this, Whittier never really found itself in trouble at any point in the game. Wesleyan did tie the Poets at 14-14 in the second quarter, but from that moment on, Whittier exploded with a 21-3 run to end the period punctuated by successful field goals from junior transfers
Bella Blum (Manhattan Beach, Calif. / Mira Costa / El Camino College) and
Jayden Borgna (Ukiah, Calif. / Ukiah / City College of San Francisco).
Backcourt duo
Shushan Krikorian (McLean, Va. / McLean / Concordia University Irvine | Glendale College) and
Jadyn Patterson (San Jose, Calif. / Valley Christian / California State University, Stanislaus) took an offensive backseat in Tuesday's game, but played a pivotal role in shutting Wesleyan down from the perimeter. The Connecticut-based school shot just 3-for-25 from deep, and the Poets were able to cruise in the second half as a result (36-28). Junior
Brooklyn Giles (Fairfield, Calif. / Early College High School / Napa Valley College | Cal State Los Angeles) joined Perkins and Hood as 50% shooters, scoring 12 points in a starring role.
Head Coach
Kristen Dowling and the Poets will have the opportunity to end the 2025 calendar year on a three-game winning streak. The Purple & Gold will host No. 15 Amherst College on New Year's Eve 2025 at 3 p.m.
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