LOS ANGELES — In a contest between two teams each playing their third game in three days, the Occidental College women's basketball team outrebounded and outlasted UC Santa Cruz, beating the Banana Slugs 64-55 at Rush Gymnasium on Sunday.

Elizabeth Messick (Reno Nev.) and Makenzie Brandon (Seattle) each had 17 points and Oxy (3-1) pounded UC Santa Cruz 41-25 on the boards en route to their third win of the season.

Messick had nine rebounds and Brittni Walker (Castaic) had a game-high 11—her second game in a row in double-figures—to lead Oxy inside.

The Oxy guards were aggressive on the boards too. Oxy assistant coach Betsy Butterick came up with a goal for the Tigers perimeter players to "rebound their number". Many of the guards wear single-digit jerseys and in the circumstances where they have two numbers, the goal is set by adding the two numbers together.

The interesting motivational ploy, that makes some sense for team success on the glass, held mostly true for the Tigers against UC Santa Cruz.

Stephanie Scamman (Northridge) wears No. 23 and grabbed six rebounds, Brandon wears No. 21 and had five, and Marquisha Corley (Tucson, Ariz.) Corley wears No. 24 and totaled four.

The Tigers' guards getting their share of rebounds gives their post-playing teammates a break and starts Oxy's transition offense more efficiently.

"It takes pressure off of (Messick) and Katelyn (Rowe) to carry us on the boards," Occidental coach Heidi VanDerveer said. "It takes away an outlet pass and let's you push."

The Tigers held a 15-point lead at halftime and kept a double-digit lead for most of the second half until the Banana Slugs (2-4) made a run late in the second to cut the Oxy lead to just nine.

But with just less than 3 minutes remaining, Corley hit her second three-pointer of the game, then had a steal and a layup to extend Oxy's lead back to 14 points, putting the game away for the Tigers.

"We started out with breathing room and ended up with breathing room," VanDerveer said.

Corley, who is not known for her long-range shooting, came up with her second three-pointer of the game and second of the year, at a crucial moment.

"I think (Corley) has worked very hard on her shot, especially extending her range," VanDerveer said. "She's not going to take it in first 10-15 seconds of the shot clock. She got (the second) on a reversal. Both were under 10 seconds. … She got it in a good rhythm, that's a good shot."

Katelyn Rowe (Carlsbad) had seven points, Corley had eight, Scamman finished with six and Liz Little (Littleton, Colo.) had five.

"I think that we're starting to develop some alternate scorers," VanDerveer said. "It takes some pressure off of (Brandon)."

The Tigers passed the ball well, with an assist on 17 scores. Little and Brandon led the game with four assists apiece and Rowe and Corley had three.

UC Santa Cruz had three players in double figures — Leah Parrish (21), Sarah Mackey (10) and Kelly Gregg (14).

The Tigers had 10 bench points while holding the Banana Slugs to just two.

Oxy has a little bit of an extended leave from competition, with its next game not until Dec. 19 against Willamette University at Rush Gymnasium at 6 p.m.