Pasadena, Calif. – Freshman Jenn Okonkwo (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. - pictured) had her second straight double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds as the Pomona-Pitzer Women's Basketball team overcame a sluggish start for a 48-43 win over Caltech on Saturday evening at the Braun Athletic Center.

The win was the second in a row in the new year for Pomona-Pitzer after an 0-8 start, as the Sagehens improve to 2-8 overall and 2-3 in the SCIAC. Caltech falls to 1-12 overall and 0-4 in conference play.

The Sagehens trailed 23-18 at the half, but used a quick 8-0 run over the first three minutes of the second half to pull in front 26-23. Sophomore Maria Weyhrauch (Juneau, Alaska) had five points during the run.

Stephanie Wong made back-to-back three-pointers for Caltech, around a jumper from freshman Alice Timken, to give the Beavers the lead back at 29-28 with 14:25 left. The teams traded baskets until a three-point play from Weyhrauch with 9:05 left gave Pomona-Pitzer the lead for good at 36-34.

After a stop, Okonkwo had a three-point play of her own to push the lead to 39-34, and senior guard Vanessa Ho (San Francisco, Calif.) followed with a three-pointer to finish off a quick 9-0 run. Caltech was able to close within 46-43 on two more Wong three-pointers in the final two minutes, the second coming with 22 seconds left, but Caltech turned the ball over with 10 seconds left and freshman Juliah Shay Kim (Bakersfield, Calif.) hit two foul shots to enable the Sagehens to hold on.     

Pomona-Pitzer was playing without two of its top players in senior Alexis Sones (Los Angeles, Calif.) and sophomore Ruthie Shapiro (Moraga, Calif.). Caltech took advantage of the shorthanded line-up and held the Sagehens to only six points over the first 13 minutes, building a 15-6 lead. Pomona-Pitzer gradually warmed up, and Ho hit two baskets in the final minute of the half, including a lay-up at the buzzer, to cut Caltech's lead to 23-18 at the break.

Okonkwo tied for team-high honors with 14 points with Kim, while Weyhrauch finished with 11. The Sagehens shot only 29 percent from the floor (19-66), but won the turnover battle substantially, forcing 22 by the Beavers and committing only nine of their own.

The Sagehens will be back in action on Thursday for a non-conference home game against La Sierra.