SPOKANE, Wash. — Clarissa Perez led all players with 29 points and the University of La Verne women's basketball team hung with No. 6 Whitman through the first half Friday night.

But the Blues expanded their lead in the third quarter to beat the Leopards 93-75.

Season Impact: The Leopards drop their season opener and Whitman improves to 1-1.

Perez's four three-pointers helped the Leopards hang close with one of the top-ranked team in the country. The junior also finished with a team-high four steals.La Verne finished with nine total makes from beyond the arc.

The Leopards kept the pressure on Whitman all game, forcing the Blues into 33 turnovers. La Verne capitalized off their smothering defense, scoring 31 points off turnovers. 

Whitman took control of the boards, outrebounding the Leopards 65-29 in the game. The Blues were also aided by 75.9 percent shooting from the line.

Nyjeeiah Ganan finished the game in double-digits for the La Verne with the guard scoring 12 points. Caroline Jogwe added eight points off the bench.

Whitman was led by Emily Rommel's 22 points. 

Next Game: The Leopards face another Northwest Conference opponent at 4 p.m. today when they face the Whitworth Pirates.