WHITTIER, Calif. - Whittier used an 8-0 run late in the fourth quarter to outlast visiting Pacific in a back and forth non-conference women's basketball game at the Graham Athletic Center, 67-63.

The Poets improved to 2-4 on the season while the Boxers fell to 4-5.

It was a game where both teams were no further than arms length from each other all night. Whittier took an eight point lead at one point in the first quarter, the largest lead for either team on the night. But Pacific rallied with three straight three-pointers by Nikki Gilbert, Kyla Siri and Karli McHone to reclaim the lead.

That's how it would go for most of the night. It was 31-29 Pacific at the half, 47-47 at the end of the third quarter. For the game, there were eight ties and seven lead changes.

With 6:07 to go, Gilbert hit one of her three treys on the night to give the Boxers a 56-52 lead. But that's when the Poets went on a 8-0 run to take a 60-56 lead and they would never trail again--although Pacific would scratch back to within one point three times--on another Gilbert three, and a McHone trey and free throw.

But Whittier's Amia Thrash answered with a shot beyond the arch of her own with just over a minute left and the Boxers went cold down the stretch and wouldn't enter the scorebook again.

McHone led all scorers with 17 points, hitting four of her eight three-point attempts. Gilbert had 13 points and four assists and Sarah Curl just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. As a team, the Boxers hit 9 of 24 shots between the circles.

Thrash led the Poets with 16 points and Ana Youngblood added 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Pacific will continue its three-game southern California trip with a Monday afternoon encounter at California Lutheran. Tip-off is at 1 p.m.