Soaring into the season, Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) women’s basketball dug deep in the final minutes of play in their regular season opener at home on Sunday, Nov. 10 to edge out a 57-50 win over UC Santa Cruz.
Having kept all players from last year’s roster and gaining seven new freshmen, the Sagehens look to capitalize on their depth and come out on top in the SCIAC tournament this year after finishing at No. 8 last season in the conference.
According to Emily Lee PZ ’26, who led the Hens with 17 points, the first game proved to be an opportunity to showcase this depth and kickstart the season.
“We had a really young team last year, and we had a lot of close games that didn’t pan out the way we wanted it to,” Lee said. “We had a lot of potential and I think this year we’re really building off that potential.”
For Abby Homan PO ’27, who scored 13 points against the Slugs, the first game was all about managing expectations and shaking off nerves.
“We take every opponent as a tough opponent and expect the best from them every game,” Homan said. “Knowing that they were gonna be tough, we had to work through all the jitters, and we got there.”
The Sagehens came out strong in the first quarter with a lead of 19-6 which Lee noted as a noticeable improvement from the previous season.
“Last year we struggled to start really strongly in the beginning,” she said. “And this showed that we have grown to be able to start out like that.”
However, the Slugs didn’t let up for long, striking back in the second quarter to close the gap to 29-25, later tying the game at 35-35 with two minutes left in the third quarter. Though the Hens entered the final quarter up 39-37, the teams continued to exchange leading positions until a pivotal run from the Sagehens brought their lead back up to 54-48 with only one minute of play left.
Jadyn Lee PO ’27 sealed the game with one more point from a free throw in the final minute, bringing the final score to 57-50 and adding to her total of 15 points. In the midst of a chaotic final quarter, Lee explained how she stayed focused to ultimately finish the game strong.
“I pushed through because I was like, ‘My teammates need me,’” she said. “That’s selfish if I don’t play my hardest.”
Charlize Andaya CGU ’25 scored eight points for the Sagehens and described her confidence in the team going into this season.
“Having a young team in general means everyone’s super eager and ready to put their best foot forward,” Andaya said. “I would say it’s probably some of the best energy I’ve felt in a while so I think that’ll take us pretty far.”
For the Sagehens, every game counts on their road to SCIAC dominance. Despite an exciting first win for the team, according to Homan, the team is setting its sights on future competition.
“It’s great to get the first win of the season but we’ve a lot to work on and a lot to look forward to,” Homan said. “So we’re putting the work in next practice and moving on to the next game.”
The Sagehens have back-to-back games this weekend, competing against Linfield University on Friday, Nov. 15 at Chapman, followed by a game against Smith College on Sunday, Nov. 16 at home.
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