LOS ANGELES — Led by the scrappy play of Tiffany Kho and Ashton Reid, the Occidental College women's basketball team forced 26 turnovers on 17 steals to beat Colorado College 58-50 for the second time in a week in its home opener at Rush Gymnasium on Friday.
Oxy improves to 2-1 overall. Colorado College falls to 0-4.
The Tigers beat Colorado College 67-57 on Nov. 17 in Colorado Springs.
Reid was aggressive going to the basket in transition, leading all scorers with 15 points on 6-11 shooting. She also had four steals and four rebounds.
Kho sparked Oxy's press in both halves, leading the Tigers to key runs midway through each half. Shortly after she checked into the game in the first half, Oxy went on a 9-2 run that ended withHaley Graham hitting a 16-foot baseline jumper, putting Oxy up 16-6. Oxy held at least a five-point lead for the rest of the half.
Kho finished with five steals and six rebounds.
Graham hit a corner three during Oxy's second-half run and then Kho made a left-handed drive with a underhand scoop shot, putting Oxy up 46-28 with 9:50 left in the game.
"I thought Tiffany and Ashton set the tone for us defensively," Oxy head coach Anahit Aladzhanyan said. "Their pressure, especially in the press, led to turnovers and easy baskets."
Colorado College made a run, cutting the lead to 50-36, but Kho swiped a steal off an inbounds pass and found Elizabeth Messick for two of her seven points to extend Oxy's lead back to 18 and ice the game.
Messick made sure Colorado College didn't get anything easy near the basket, blocking five shots in the first half.
Oxy outrebounded Colorado College 49-42 and grabbed 20 rebounds on the offensive end.
Neither team shot the ball well from the field. Oxy was 32 percent from the field and Colorado College shot just 27 percent.
The Tigers had assists on 14 of their 21 field goals.
Colorado College is in Southern California on a three-game road trip against SCIAC schools. They lost at Cal Lutheran 69-49 on Nov. 21 and finish the trip at La Verne on Nov. 23.
Oxy opens SCIAC play against Redlands on Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Rush Gymnasium.