Boxscore

In a game where points were at a premium, the University of La Verne used a key second half surge to hold off Whittier College in a 41-39 road triumph over the Poets in the SCIAC women's basketball opener for both teams Thursday night in Whittier.

Trailing 35-34 with 5:44 remaining, La Verne went on a 6-0 run in just over a minute of action, as a layup from Michelle Webb along with a jumper and two free throws from Lindsey Foster put the Leos on top 40-35 at the 4:22 mark.

The Leos would hold Whittier scoreless over the next 2:39, forcing four Poet turnovers in that span.  A jumper from Maria Montero pulled the Poets within a point at 40-39 with 10 seconds remaining, but the Leopards' Riki Murakami hit a free throw with eight seconds left to provide the game's final margin.

La Verne's overall depth and defensive pressure proved to be the difference as it forced 25 Poet turnovers on the evening.  Moreover, the Leopard bench outscored Whittier's by a 21-6 margin to improve to 2-1 on the young season and 1-0 in league play.

After the Leopards took a 23-18 lead into intermission, Whittier opened the second half with a 10-4 run to go in front 28-27 with 13:22 to play.  The lead would change hands on four occassions with two ties.  A free throw by Montero gave Whittier its last lead of the contest at 35-34 with 5:44 to play before the Leopards reeled off six straight points.

The contest was indeed a defensive struggle where both squads shot under 30% from the field and combined for 4-27 (14%) from three-point range.

La Verne was led by Amanda Copas who finished with eight points and a team-high seven boards, while Tyne McClure posted seven points off the bench.   Webb and Kayla Cribbs each added six points.  Whittier's Alex Coon collected a double-double with game-highs of 12 points and 16 rebounds.

The Leopards will be back in action next weekend at the Hampton Inn Classic in Santa Cruz.  The tournament will begin with a 3 p.m. tip against Puget Sound on Saturday.