LA VERNE CA. — Pomona-Pitzer women's basketball defeated La Verne 65-56 on the road to close out the SCIAC regular season.

Season Impact: The win puts the Sagehens at 14-8 on the season, ending 11-5 in SCIAC play. The Sagehens concluded regular season as the 3rd seed heading into the SCIAC tournament.

Emily Lee led the way with 19 points, knocking down five three-pointers and grabbing five rebounds, while Jadyn Lee added 14 points, six boards, four assists, and four steals. Sara Chicco chipped in ten points and Shea Joko contributed seven points and four assists off the bench. Molly Pieper controlled the glass with a team-high seven rebounds as the Sagehens shot 10-of-27 from beyond the arc in the 65-point performance.

E. Lee scored the first four points for the Sagehens and Katie Drais knocked down an early three to give the Sagehens a 7-2 lead midway through the quarter. Strong interior defense from Anna Revill, Kayla Malek, and Chicco produced multiple blocks, but La Verne capitalized on second-chance opportunities and late turnovers. The Leopards closed the period on a 13-2 run to take a 15-9 lead after one. La Verne pushed its lead to 25-11 early in the second behind perimeter shooting and transition buckets, but the Sagehens responded with defensive energy and timely threes. Drais and Chicco each knocked down a three, Pieper added a putback, and J. Lee finished at the rim in the final seconds. Pomona-Pitzer closed the quarter on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to 25-21 at halftime.

The Sagehens came out of halftime on fire, as E. Lee drilled a three to spark a 8-0 run, capped by a fastbreak layup from J. Lee and a transition three from Chicco to take a 29-25 lead. The Sagehens' defense forced multiple steals and added key blocks from Abigail Homan and Chicco to maintain control. Despite a late La Verne three, Pomona-Pitzer carried a 37-35 advantage into the fourth quarter. The Sagehens seized control early in the fourth with back-to-back steals that led to fastbreak layups by J. Lee, extending the lead to six. E. Lee caught fire from deep, knocking down three clutch three-pointers in the quarter, while Joko added a key triple and four late free throws to steady the margin.  The Sagehens closed out a 65-56 road victory.

Up Next: The Sagehens will head into post-season play as the #3 seed and will take on #2 CMS on the road on Thursday Feb 26th. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT.