CLAREMONT, Calif. – Whitworth wrapped up a two-game non-conference road trip to California with a 59-52 loss to Pomona-Pitzer in Saturday's women's basketball matchup at Voelkel Gymnasium.
The Pirates (0-4) led by six halfway through the third quarter but could not hold onto the lead as the Sagehens (3-1) rallied with a 14-0 run to regain an advantage that they did not give up.
A closely played first quarter closed with the score knotted at 11. Pomona-Pitzer led by four after a Jadyn Lee layup, but the Bucs responded with a bucket from Ashlyn Peterson and a pair of free throws to tie it up heading into the second quarter.
Forward Abigail Homan came up big for the Sagehens in the second quarter, scoring 12 of 20 points and making five of her last six field goal attempts. Addyson Gallatin and Peterson knocked down a pair of threes to keep the lead at four with 2:23 to play in the half. Pomona went on to take a 31-23 lead at the half after shooing 9-19 from the floor in the quarter. Whitworth shot 26.6% from the field and turned the ball over 15 times in the first half. Peterson led the Pirates with nine points at the break.
Whitworth came out with intensity in the third quarter, forcing four turnovers and making five of its first nine shots. Peterson's layup at the 6:13 mark gave the Pirates a 34-33 lead, their first since early in the first quarter. Gallatin buried a long range shot and CC Size followed with a pair of free throws to extend the Whitworth lead to six with 5:18 left in the quarter. The Sagehens regrouped and scored 14 unanswered points to close the quarter, capped off by a three-point play from Emily Lee.
Pomona maintained their lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Bucs wouldn't go away. Bri Talley's layup with 5:25 to play shrunk the lead to four and Size's basket three minutes later cut it to three. Whitworth couldn't break through as the Sagehens held the Pirates off the scoreboard in the final two minutes. Jadyn Lee's free throws with seven seconds remaining put the game out of reach.
The Pirates shot 30.2% (19-63 FG) from the field and made four of 27 (14.8%) three-point attempts. Pomona shot 37.9% (22-58) from the floor and 29.4% (5-17) from long range. Whitworth dominated the rebound battle 43-22 but had 23 turnovers to the Sagehens' 13.
Peterson led all scorers with 20 points on 8-18 shooting. Gallatin and Alex Goetz each had nine points. Seven Pirates had at least five rebounds, led by Gallatin with eight.
Avery Patricco led Pomona with 16 points off the bench. Homan finished with 14 points and a team-high four steals. Lee added 15 points and led the Sagehens with eight rebounds and six assists.
Whitworth will look to get in the win column on Tuesday against NAIA opponent Northwest (Wash.) in Kirkland.
