LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Jan. 31, 2008) –
Occidental controlled the tempo of the game from the tip as they
defeated Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
foe Whittier College 75-65 at Rush Gymnasium
this evening behind a double-double performance by Brianne
Brown and a 20-point game from Stephanie
Babij.
Oxy's dynamic duo of Babij, a freshman, and
Brown, a transfer, combined for 38 points and 16 rebounds with six
combined assists and a pair of steals as well.
Early in the game the score was knotted at
5-5, but that was as close as WC would get to taking a lead on the
night. Oxy used a 12-1 run early in the first half to take a
commanding 36-23 lead into the locker room en route to their third
straight victory.
The Tigers returned to the court after the
break with the same dominance as they showed in the first half,
opening with an 8-2, run.
With 7:18 to play in regulation, the Tigers
opened an 18 point lead, but the Poets chipped away during the next
five and a half minutes, pulling the score to 71-63, as tight as
things would get in the second half.
After shooting a phenomenal 63.6 % from the
field (14-22) in the first half, the Tigers cooled off in the
second with a 38.5 field goal percentage, but managed to finished
the night shooting 50% overall.
Joining Babij (20) and Brown (18) with
double-figure scoring in the game was Roshon, who poured in 15,
including three from long range. Gillian Nugent
also shot well from outside, sinking two of her four shots. Babij,
Brown and Mohler each hit her only three-point attempt on the
night.
Britinee Yasukochi again led
the way with seven assists, while adding five points.
Oxy was solid at the line, knocking down 18 of
22 attempts, behind 4-for-4 and 3-for-3 performances by
Stacie Roshon and Babij, respectively.
Laura Mohler was also perfect from the stripe,
going 2-for-2.
The Tigers out-rebounded WC 40-35, but grabbed
just nine offensive boards while the Poets pulled down 18 on their
offensive end of the court. Oxy managed to score 12 points on those
nine rebounds. Brown grabbed 10 boards, leading all players, while
Babij and Mohler each finished with six.
The Poets turned the ball over just nine
times, which led to 10 Tiger point, but scored 20 points themselves
after forcing 19 Oxy turnovers.
Whittier (7-10, 3-4 SCIAC) was led by senior
Rosarios Rios-Aguilar who scored 17, adding eight rebounds,
followed by Marie Vodicska who chipped in with 12 points. Oxy did a
good job of shutting down Whittier's second leading scorer,
freshman Kourtney Zilbert, who tallied just nine
in the game, but dished out five assists and stole the ball four
times.
Brown's double-double was her fourth of
the season, and her second in as many games.
Occidental (13-5, 5-2 SCIAC) has scored over
70 points in their last three games, posting 73 and 72 against
Pomona-Pitzer and Cal Lutheran, respectively.
Tonight marks the mid-way point of conference
play. Teams are fighting for the top four spots as those teams will
earn bids to the first ever SCIAC Post-Season Tournament.
On Saturday, in quite possibly the biggest
game of the season, the Tigers are looking for revenge against the
University of La Verne, whom they dropped their first meeting of
the season 81-76 on the road. The Leopards enter the game with a
7-0 SCIAC mark.
The battle of the cats will begin at 5:00 p.m.
in Rush Gymnasium, preceding the men's game set to begin at
7:30 p.m.
