LA VERNE, Calif. — Occidental (11-10, 6-6 SCIAC) defeated the University of La Verne (5-16, 1-10 SCIAC), 65-57, capitalizing on 14 steals to secure the road victory. The game remained close until the third quarter, where the Tigers outscored the Leopards 20-11, establishing a lead they maintained through the final buzzer.

The game commenced with Occidental taking an early lead through a jumper by Paige Yasukochi at 7:02. The visiting team maintained momentum with a three-pointer from Dara Tokeshi at 6:15, assisted by Yasukochi, extending the lead to 5–1. Despite a responsive three-pointer from Isabella Gray-Musolff for the Leopards at 5:44, the Tigers continued to press with a pair of free throws by Ila Giblin, making it 9–4. The quarter saw a shift as La Verne tied the score at 13 with a late free throw by Maya Sanborn. The first quarter concluded with both teams locked at 13.

Occidental saw a pivotal moment in the second quarter when Tokeshi hit a 3-pointer at 7:48, narrowing the gap to 19-16. This was further supplemented by Emily Ko's layup on a fast break at 7:09, bringing the Tigers within one point at 19-18. Late in the quarter, Megan Delgado's 3-pointer at 3:13 tied the game at 27, but La Verne responded quickly, ending the quarter with a layup by Sanborn to lead 29-27. Occidental scored 14 points in the quarter, while La Verne managed 16, resulting in a close contest heading into the next half.

Occidental seized momentum early in the third quarter with Yasukochi's jumper at 9:49, assisted by Giblin, tying the score at 29. Dominique Cabading's 3-pointer and subsequent layup extended the lead, while Kayla Ikuma's 3-pointer at 6:44 capped a critical scoring run. Despite La Verne's efforts to close the gap, the Tigers maintained their advantage, highlighted by a key steal from Tokeshi leading to a successful jumper. The quarter concluded with Delgado's late jumper, ensuring a 47–40 lead for Occidental heading into the final quarter.

Occidental maintained their lead in the fourth by executing a pivotal 3-pointer from Tokeshi at 4:03, which pushed their advantage to 53–46. Ko contributed with clutch free throws, extending the margin to 55–47 with 3:06 left on the clock. Despite a brief rally from La Verne, Yasukochi's jumper at 2:37 and subsequent free throws from Micah Elegores and Cabading sealed the outcome. The game concluded with Occidental securing a 65–57 victory.

Tokeshi scored 15 points and recorded five steals, making three of five attempts from beyond the arc. Yasukochi led the team with 20 points and added four assists while shooting 9 of 15 from the field. Ikuma contributed six points and collected three steals, enhancing the team's defensive efforts. Ko finished with six points and grabbed six rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.

Occidental has a record of 11-10 overall and 6-6 in SCIAC play. La Verne is now 5-16 overall and 1-10 in the SCIAC.

In their next game, Occidental will face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. The matchup will take place in Claremont, California.