A Big Comeback for Poet’s Women’s Basketball
Whittier College Women’s Basketball has been ablaze this season, displaying a strong sense of teamwork and resilience as they enter a competitive SCIAC conference. They are 13–5 overall, with an 8–3 record. They have shown slight fatigue in their recent games, but it does not overshadow the program’s best start to a season in recent memory.
The Poets continue outperforming the competition in various statistics that have put them on the map and continue to create a strong foundation. Citlalli Gurrola, a fourth-year student, perfectly encapsulates the season’s essence: “Being a senior on this team, I feel as [if] this season is a season that we worked hard for. As many know, last year wasn’t a great one for us, as we experienced much adversity individually, and collectively, as a team. This year, we seniors and our junior guard, Rhe Nae Leach, wanted to change that and instill a winning mentality that this would be our comeback year. At the beginning of the season, we were ranked last in the SCIAC rankings, and now we’re receiving votes to potentially become nationally ranked as one of the Top 25 teams in the country.”
Recently, the team received national recognition from the D3Hoops website, which ranks teams from across the United States in an attempt to award the most notable Division 3 programs. According to D3Hoops, input from 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors, and media members across the country are the deciding factors in which teams are in the Top 25. The website updates and is published weekly with points awarded on a 25–24–23–22-etc basis.
The Poets, led by Head Coach Roy Dow in his seventh season, received a total of 14 points, which puts them in the 29th position in the national ranking, just outside the Top 25. They have competed against highly-ranked opponents in the pre-season such as New York University. Despite their strong performance, the Poets could not secure a victory against them. NYU remains the top-ranked team in the nation, with a perfect 18–0 record. The Poets held their own against this strong adversary, displaying the team’s potential to hang with the best competition in the country and showing glimpses of a promising season.
Natalia Williams, a fourth-year student on the team, spoke about the importance of playing their early season games on the road: “Having such a hot winning streak at the beginning of the year and the start of the conference helped us push through the long stretch of winter break. Even though we didn’t win them all, playing the games on the East Coast prepared us for the rest of the year.” Off-season preparation has poised the Poets for a grueling couple of months, and the team has displayed an impressive ability to compete until they hear the final buzzer.
Women’s basketball had an astounding start to their season, taking first place in the SCIAC standings within their five undefeated games. They’ve since lost three games but remain in an excellent position to make a playoff appearance. Williams attributes their ability to start on the right foot as the reason their recent showings are not worrying: “Season started with a serious bang. Having so many road games to start the run was definitely a challenge but provided so many benefits to our basketball and mental training.” Fatigue can often become a problem for teams as they go deep into a season. Still, the Poets are confident in their ability to persevere, “This year is different in mindset towards our goals and dynamic within the team. Every game matters for us, and we just want to be the toughest team to play against.”
Compared to their opponents, the Poets are efficient in the shots that they take, completing them at a higher rate than any other team. Their success is greatly attributed to what has been dubbed “A Special Trio.” Rhe Nae Leach has settled in and proven to be a formidable and consistent offensive weapon in her third year as a Poet. She leads the team in games played, points made, and averages 18.8 points per game. Her unrelenting aggression has set the tone for a high-scoring season, propelling the Poets to third in the SCIAC standings. Lainie James, a fourth-year student and three-point phenom, has scored an astounding 34 points in the most challenging position to make a basket. She remains one of the most consistent players, competing in every game thus far. Lulu Salloom, another third-year student who has played all eighteen games, is the most accurate scorer, taking calculated shots she knows she can make. Her accuracy allows the Poets to stay competitive in games as they pursue a playoff position. In a recent interview, Leach, speaking highly of her fellow teammates, states, “Lainie and I can look at each other and immediately know what each other is thinking. Lulu is the missing piece we needed last year. She is someone who can complement us without overtaking us or overpowering us. She’s the missing puzzle piece.” Their high energy and undeterred aggression remain vital as they continue into the final leg of their season.
Furthermore, Citlalli Gurrola discussed the impact the women who have not been as recognized and their importance to the highlights the overall success of all the players on the team stating, “Senior Abby Pagilla has definitely stepped up in her role as Point Guard and being a key defender for us, especially in critical moments where we need to get a stop in the game. I also commend our freshman, Yaneli Rosales, for taking on big minutes as a freshman, and she continues to get better every single day. Bella Robles and Natalia Williams both come in with great energy and help us tremendously on the defensive side, especially when it comes to rebounding the ball.” Together, this team has redefined the culture of the program, shown the potential to make it to the very end, and as Gurrola punctuates their mentality, “Our victories right now are great, but we’re not satisfied.”
The team recently completed a season sweep of the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens and looks to win the series against Occidental, Cal Tech, Chapman, and La Verne. This crucial point in the season will require the team’s ability to have multiple game-changers and rely on a heavy offensive approach. The team has become focused on a game-by-game approach, thinking only of the next challenge as they tally off each team that stands in their way.
Williams imparts high hopes for the future, “I believe there is a lot this program can do in the years to come. Being on others’ [radar] and receiving votes is fantastic. Knowing the team’s hard work is paying off pushes us to improve. The victories thus far have only helped us solidify our position, and we know we still have a lot of work to do if we want to reach the big stage at the end of the year.” Coach Dow’s experience in high-pressure situations and his cherished team will surely guide this Poets’ team to complete the intended feat, winning it all! Leach concludes this sentiment with her formidable attitude, “The program was built from the ground up by the head coach, and many people underestimated how hard we had to work to get it to this point. This successful season will lead more players to want to come here and adopt our winning culture and mentality in the future.”
Photo Courtesy of Tony Leon/Tony@actionwestphotography.com
