Five days after setting the NCAA Division III single-game record for three-point field goals, the University of La Verne made "only" 13 threes against Whittier College but sparkled nonetheless in posting an 86-64 over the Poets in SCIAC women's basketball action Thursday night.
The Leopards never trailed in the game and held a 26-point lead at the break, leading by as many as 30 points early in the second half in coasting to their second straight victory. La Verne also received 39 points from its bench.
The win allowed the Leos (7-17, 5-8 SCIAC) to move into sole possession of fifth place in the conference standings while the Poets (7-17, 4-9) fell into sixth place.
After connecting for 26 threes in its last outing last Saturday against Pomona-Pitzer, La Verne went 13-of-38 from three-point range against the Poets. The Leopards currently rank No. 1 in Division III in three-point field goals per game (10.9).
The Leopards dominated the opening 20 minutes of action, shooting 10-of-20 (50%) beyond the arc. Defensively, La Verne held Whittier to 6-of-33 shooting (18.2%) on its way to a 49-23 lead at intermission.
In the first half, the Leos led 11-10 before embarking on a decisive 25-4 run over a seven-minute span to take a 36-14 cushion with 6:11 to play before halftime. A three-pointer from Chantal Crouzet at 18:35 of the second half pushed the Leopard lead to 56-26, its largest of the game.
La Verne enjoyed balanced scoring with five players in double figures led by Amanda Copas who registered a team-high 14 points. Riki Murakami totaled 13 points followed by Megan Musashi with 11. Chantal Crouzet and Raphaelle Buenafe collected 10 points each.
Brittany Aranda led the Poets with a game-high 16 points while Tanisha White recorded a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds in the defeat.
La Verne will conclude its 2011-12 campaign this Saturday as it hosts Caltech on Senior Night at Frantz Athletic Court. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 pm.
