By Sebastián Abdón Ibarra, Sports Information Intern

The University of La Verne Women's basketball team (3-1) earned their third win in a row after a dominating 99-49 performance against the Bethesda University Flames (0-13). It was a total team effort with La Verne receiving an astounding 63 points from their bench - highlighted by 16 of the 18 players on the roster scoring at least once.

The Leos simply outmuscled the Flames on the boards and in the paint to earn their win on Saturday. They outrebounded Bethesda 70-38, which led to 38 second-chance points. La Verne also dominated in the paint with 48 points, holding the Flames to 12. On a rare night of low three-point shooting conversions, the Leos' ability to drive and convert at the rim proved essential. La Verne's stifling defense also forced the Flames to commit 40 turnovers, translating into 43 points for the Leos. 

The Leos controlled the game. Initially tied at 14-14 after the first quarter, a combination of good defense from La Verne and poor shooting from Bethesda allowed the Leos to pull away and never look back. 

A 40 point burst in the third quarter really put the contest out of reach for good. It was the Leos' best shooting quarter of the game and possibly their best performance of the season. As a team, La Verne shot 52% from the field and 42% from three. 

Marissa Howell led all scorers with 16 points off the bench. Howell did a majority of her damage from three while shooting 33%. Kayla Rubio had her best performance of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the year. Rubio was 3-5 from the field and 7-7 on her free throws. Jaelynn Curley and Aerin Wiggins were also big contributors in this game with 13 and 12 points respectively. Wiggins' 40% shooting was a shining light for the Leos beyond the arc. 

The Leos will look to extend their winning streak next week when they begin conference play on Wednesday against Pomona-Pitzer at 7:00 p.m at home in the Sports Science and Athletic Pavilion.