CLAREMONT, Calif. – Zalissa Sanfo dominated defensively to lead visiting Whitworth to a 59-48 win at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in a non-conference women's basketball game on Monday afternoon at the Roberts Pavilion.
The Pirates (3-6) won their second straight game while the Athena's fell to 1-8. Whitworth held CMS to 28% from the field, thanks in part to seven blocked shots from Sanfo. The Bucs held a 46-35 edge in rebounding, getting 18 boards from Sanfo.
Kimberly Dewey and Mya Edwards scored 16 and 12 points, respectively, for Whitworth.
The Pirates never trailed and the game was tied only once. After Whitworth scored the first two baskets of the game, CMS tied the contest 6-6 on a three-pointer by Tanya Ghai. Sanfo responded with a layup for the Bucs and Dewey hit two free throws for a 10-6 advantage. Whitworth continued to pull away, ending the first period with a 20-8 lead after Dewey made two more free throws with 19 seconds left. The Pirates made 53% (8-15) of their shots in the first period.
The Athenas cut the margin to 24-15 six minutes into the third, but Mya Edwards hit a three-pointer to extend the lead back to double digits and Makhayla Adams made a free throw to give the Pirates their largest lead of the half (34-18). Whitworth led 34-20 at the break. Dewey had ten points at halftime, while Sanfo had eight points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
The Pirates quickly opened a 20-point lead in the third quarter following a three-pointer by Alyssa Fitzgerald. The Athenas cut the deficit back to 14 points twice before Whitworth went up 48-30 on a Cheyenne Rodgers layup with 43 seconds left. The Pirates led 48-32 at the end of three-quarters.
Whitworth retook a 20-point margin early in the fourth on a Dawson Driggs basket. CMS made its best run of the game over the next five minutes, getting within 54-44 on a jumper by Syona Mandyam with 1:57 left. Dewey calmly made two free throws to stem the tide and the Athenas got no closer.
The Pirates finished the game 20 of 60 from the floor (33.3%) and 15-25 from the free throw line (60%), but rode their defense to their second straight win.
Whitworth gets a day off before taking on Occidental College on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
