Poets jump on Caltech early in conference win

Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. - Tina Merlino and Brittany Aranda combined to score 35 points as the junior and sophomore led the Whittier College women's basketball team to a 76-51 win over visiting Caltech on Saturday evening at the Graham Athletics Center.

Merlino scored 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting and added a game-high eight rebounds and four steals to lead the Poets. Aranda chipped in with 16 points.

The Poets (12-7, 5-3 SCIAC) never had the game in doubt and lead from the get go with a fast break layup by Aranda just 39 seconds into the contest. The Poets scored the game's first seven points and took its first double digit lead at the 9:35 mark.

Kourtney Zilbert made 1-of-2 foul shots to give the Poets an 18-8 lead and WC used a 17-2 run over the next five minutes to go up 35-10.

The first half lead reach 28 points on a three-pointer by Ashley Vierra with 39 seconds left in the half but Caltech's Erin Hoops hit a jumper at the buzzer to cut into the lead.

Whittier held a 42-16 advantage at the intermission and was a blistering 19-of-32 (59 percent) in the first half.

Hoops led the Beavers with 15 points, five rebounds and five assists.

The second half was much of the same for the purple and gold as the lead reached as many as 39 points with 7:21 remaining but Caltech ended the game on a 20-6 run en route to the 25-point WC win.

The Poets held a slight edge on the glass, 36-32, and outscored the Beavers in the paint 42-28.

Zilbert finished with nine points and four rebounds while Keimi Lew scored two points but dished out a game-high seven assists. Morgan Sabala added eight points and five assists in the win.

Whittier returns to Dave Jacobs Court next Thursday at 7:30 pm as they host Occidental. The Poets earned a 78-72 win over the Tigers in Los Angeles earlier this season.