THOUSAND OAKS- The University of La Verne women's basketball squad scored an impressive 85-63 victory over Cal Lutheran University in league action Thursday evening.

The Leopards (5-2, 2-0 SCIAC) played even with the Regals (2-4, 0-3 SCIAC) in the opening minutes of the first half. The score was level at 16-16 before a 20-5 Leo run made it 36-21 with 5:25 remaining in the period. La Verne held a 45-26 advantage at the break.

Cal Lutheran fought back early in the second half, cutting the deficit to seven (53-46) at the 13:38 mark, but 12 unanswered Leo points squashed the comeback attempt.

Senior guard Megan Musashi scored 15 points, including 3-of-6 shooting from behind the arc, to lead the Leopard offense, followed closely by 14-point efforts from sophomore center Emily Myers, senior guard Kay Hurd and senior guard/forward Lindsey Foster. Hurd also collected seven rebounds while junior guard Riki Murakami dished out six assists.

The Leos shot 46.9 percent from the floor (30-64), including a hot 53.3 percent (8-15) from three-point range. Both squads collected 43 rebounds, while La Verne held advantages in assists (22-15) and turnovers (13-18).

The Leopards return to action against Willamette (Ore.) Dec. 17 in Santa Cruz, Calif. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.