PASADENA, Calif. –Caltech Women's Basketball capped an action-packed Orange Out day with a statement win against Whittier College, surviving a late push by SCIAC's first-place team to earn a 53-51 victory in front of an electric Braun Gymnasium crowd. 

The Beavers are currently the hottest team in the conference, extending their win streak to four games while stopping Whittier's streak at seven in a row and dealing the Poets their first defeat in 2023-24 conference play. 

It was a tight contest in the first half, with a 14-14 first quarter score line, and there were eight lead changes and seven tie scores before halftime when Whittier led by just two points. It wasn't until the third quarter that either team amassed more than a three-point lead on the other, and that's when the Caltech offense absolutely exploded. 

Senior Hope Arnett (Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology) provided the first spark of the third quarter, hitting a three in the first minute, followed by two more by junior Kodie Vondra (Livingston, Mont. Park). Senior Milan Robinson (Anaheim, Calif. Fairmont Prep) and junior Kathryn Edwards (Centennial, Colo. Arapahoe) each drained one from long range before Vondra splashed her third triple of the quarter to put the Beavers up by seven. Edwards then drew a foul and hit her two free throws before senior Robinson found senior Claire Perhach (Carlsbad, Calif. Sage Creek) open in the paint, who nailed a jumper to give the Beavers a 49-38 lead, capping a 22-9 third quarter for Caltech.

Whittier responded with a pair of threes to open the fourth quarter, fighting back to within six points and drawing a timeout by Caltech. But while the Beavers didn't score until the 5:05 mark of the period, they were able to run precious time off the clock by way of three consecutive offensive rebounds and long possessions. Arnett eventually broke through the defense for a clutch layup, and then Edwards hit a 16-footer for the Beavers' last points of the game with 31 seconds left. A last-second basket by Whittier meant Caltech had to safely in-bound the ball, but Edwards' long throw was tipped by the defender guarding her on the baseline, which started the clock and ultimately denied Whittier the chance for a buzzer-beater.  

"Tonight was not just a team win, but a program win," Head Coach Annie Tarakchian said. "We had our Alumni Day today and it's so important to remember where we began while keeping our eyes locked on where we are going. This one was definitely for every former Beaver in our program." 

Vondra shot 53% from the field for a game-high 22 points, adding a block, a steal and an assist. Arnett was one rebound shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine boards. 

The Beavers have a quick turnaround and will face local rival Occidental College on their home floor at Rush Gymnasium in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, on Monday, Jan. 15 at 2 p.m.