LOS ANGELES — Occidental center Elizabeth Messick posted her fourth double-double of the season.

But it seemed like La Verne couldn't miss as they rode a big first-half run to an 81-67 victory over the Tigers at Rush Gymnasium on Saturday.

Oxy falls to 5-3 overall and 1-2 in SCIAC play. La Verne improves to 5-2 and 1-0.

Messick scored 21 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in all 40 minutes played.

The Leopards shot 52 percent on the game and were 5 of 11 from the three-point line.

La Verne's Lindsey Foster made her first seven shots, helping La Verne jump out to a 40-25-halftime lead. Oxy cut La Verne's advantage to 10 five different times in the second half, but couldn't get into single digits until Ashton Reid hit a three to make it 76-67 with 50.8 seconds left.

"They got hot early and we were in a little bit of a funk," Oxy head coach Anahit Aladzhanyan said. "By the time we started to play better in the second half it was too late."

Ashton Reid scored 15 and Brittni Walker added 14 for Oxy. Michelle Naito-Lo was aggressive attacking the basket late in the game, finishing with nine points and three assists before fouling out.

La Verne had five players finish in double figures. Foster led with 17, Alysia Trejo scored 14, Gaby Moura-Hayes had 12 and Brynn Dahmer and Megan Musashi each added 10.

Oxy has a 21-day break from competition until playing in the D3hoops.com Classic in Las Vegas after the holiday break. The Tigers open with Spalding on Dec. 28 at 10 a.m.