La Verne, Ca - The University of La Verne women's basketball team hosted Bethesda University this evening for its first home game of the season.

The Leopards came into the game 2-0, looking to grab another victory. The Leopards led early, scoring on the offensive end and dominating the Flames on the defensive end of the court. Bethesda would go on a run late in the half but La Verne led 39-15 at the intermission. The Leopards would start the second half looking to put together a run to finish the game early. Various Leopards would score and make key contributions on the defensive side of the ball. The Flames would make a run but La Verne would score 41 points in the fourth quarter to extinguish the Flames by a final score of 98-43.

The Leopards were led by Dejanee Gill with double digits in rebounds(11) and points (10). Brianna Torres directed traffic for La Verne, with eleven points and eight assists (tied for the most by a guard in one game in Head Coach Jason Pruitt's tenure at the helm).

Mariss Howell led all scorers with 15 points while Valentina Limion contributed 14 points. The victory moved the Leopards to 3-0 on the season.

Head coach Jason Pruitt was pleased with the finish but understood the importance of focusing for a full 40 minutes. "It only took 4 quarters for us to wake up. These are the worst games to play, the game before the holiday break. Basketball is the last thing on their mind. Going home, seeing family, eating turkey, and travel plans... that's what is on their mind. Tonight was a good reminder that we have to dedicate our mind, body, and soul to the game we love for 40 minutes. I'm pleased with the way we ended and started, but everything in between needs improvement. We will get there as a unit because our coaching staff will hold the ladies accountable, the team will hold each other accountable, and I will hold them accountable. Overall, we are going to enjoy our break and get back on the court at the end of the week."

The University of La Verne will travel to Utah Tech for their next match-up on November 26 at 1 PM.