Poets Crash the Boards in Comeback Win Over San Diego Christian

Kourtney Zilbert '11 scored a career-high 23 points to lead Whittier College to a 59-56 victory over San Diego Christian College in San Diego, Calif., on December 8.  The Poets erased an eight point halftime deficit to improve their record to 2-2 this season.

Zilbert scored 15 of her 23 points in the second half.  She was 11-for-19 shooting in the game and pulled down eight rebounds.  Rosario Rios-Aguilar '08 finished with ten points and eight rebounds. 

San Diego Christian had four players in double figures led by Vernessa Roberts with 15 points.  Lara Hertzog pitched in with 14 points and six rebounds.  Courtney Ash and Dorchella James finished with eleven and ten points, respectively.  Ash also had seven steals.  Erika Hendrickson grabbed a game-high eleven rebounds.

Whittier fell behind by as many as ten in the first half, and trailed by eight at the break.  The Hawks were 11-for-15 from the free throw line in the first half while the Poets were given just two opportunities at the charity stripe, converting just once.  The first half rebounding edge went to San Diego Christian by a 23-15 margin. 

The Poets went on a 10-0 run to open the second half and take a two point lead with sixteen minutes remaining.  The score was tied three times throughout the remainder of the game, but the Poets never relinquished the lead, ultimately taking home the three-point victory.  The Poets out rebounded the Hawks 31-11 in the second half and got 13 second chance points.  They also shot 41% from the field in the half, compared to just 31% from San Diego Christian.  The Hawks missed all six shots they took from beyond the arc.

The Poets are in action again at the Tiger/Poet Challenge at Occidental College on December 17 and 18.