La Verne, CA - The University of La Verne women's basketball team welcomed the Illinois Wesleyan Titans to The Tents for a non-conference match-up.

The Titans came into the game playing their first of two road games on the West Coast. The Leopards looked to pick up another win at home and add another win to the winning column.
The first half of play would be tight as both teams sought to take control of the game. With both teams having been out of action for at least a week, the play was up and down at times. The Leopards would maintain a lead through first-half action as the team controlled the game defensively. Leopard Dejanee Gill led the Leopards with 3 blocks in the first half as La Verne led at halftime 34-30. Guard Jazzlyn Johnson would provide a big spark for the Leopards, scoring 10 points that helped the Leopards control the tempo.

The Titans would hold a 3-point lead over La Verne for a short time in the second half before Dejanee Gill took control of the game to lead the Leopards to a 65-62 victory. Gill finished the game with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and 1 steal. Head coach Jason Pruitt was pleased with his team's play and spoke about the importance of the game of basketball as a whole. "Perception is merely a lens or mindset from which we view people, events, and things. Tonight, our ladies had resilience in the face of adversity.  The game of basketball is a like the game of life.  The way the ball bounces affects more than the people actually doing the dribbling.  As coaches and players, we are always under a microscope, and it is our job to set good examples for those set of eyes that may be watching us at any time.  I'm proud of our team and coaching staff for displaying good character and for being good people.  Someone has to win, and someone has to lose, but how you conduct yourself when you are faced with an unfavorable outcome says a lot about who you are as a person.  We stuck to our game plan, stayed on the course, and believed in what our coaching staff prepared us to face.  On to the next one!"

La Verne is back in action at The Tents New Year's Eve against Redlands. The game starts at 2:00 PM.