Freshman forward Claire Galbo made a 3-pointer to give UC Santa Cruz women’s basketball team an eight-point lead with 4:21 remaining, and the Banana Slugs held on for a 47-46 victory over Whittier at Kaiser Permanente Arena on Sunday.

Whittier closed the game with a 7-0 run. The Poets had a chance to tie the score with four seconds remaining, but senior guard Rhe Nae Leach, who finished with a game-high 21 points, made one of her two free-throw attempts.

The Banana Slugs (5-11 overall) trailed by five points after the first quarter, but rallied in the second quarter to narrow their deficit to 25-24 at the half. UCSC carried a 37-34 lead into the fourth quarter.

Sophomore guard Alyssa Jackson scored a team-high 12 points, pulled down six rebounds, and made two steals for UCSC.Galbo made three 3-pointers, scored 11 points and pulled down five rebounds for the Banana Slugs, and sophomore forward Alexa Litchev had eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds.

UCSC guard Lindsay Zientek, a graduate student, had seven points and four rebounds, and 6-foot-5 junior wing/center Jenna Gorton had six points, eight rebounds, and two steals.

Leach also had nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals for the Poets (6-2). Teammate Lorita Salloom, a senior forward, had 12 points, 12 rebounds. and three steals.

The Poets outscored the Banana Slugs 30-18 in the paint, and scored 14 points off of UCSC’s 16 turnovers.

UCSC outrebounded Whittier 36-35, and the Poets had 15 second-chance points.

UCSC begins a three-game road trip against UT Dallas (7-5) in Richardson, Texas, on Thursday at 11 a.m. The Banana Slugs will also face Mary Hardin-Baylor (8-4) on Friday and East Texas Baptist (10-3) on Sunday.

Men’s basketball

UCSC 82, at Puget Sound 70 >> Junior forward/center Joseph Espy recorded his third double-double of the season, and the Banana Slugs won their road game in Tacoma, Washington, on Sunday.

Espy finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds and two assists. He helped UCSC jump out to a 47-30 lead at the half.

Junior guard Andrew Ferrara-Jones had 18 points, four rebounds, and two assists for UCSC (9-7). Senior guard Zino Okah had 13 points and six rebounds, and guard Ian McCloskey, a graduate student, had 10 points and three rebounds.

Banana Slugs reserve Caden Breznikar, a junior wing, had five points, six rebounds, made three steals and two blocks in 26 minutes off the bench.

UCSC outrebounded Puget Sound 47-33, and scored 48 points in the paint.

Junior forward Dezman Baker had 23 points, two rebounds, and two steals for the Loggers (5-4). Sophomore Hugo Rutherfurd had 14 points and four rebound, and senior guard Liam Ruttledge had 10 points, two rebounds, and two steals. Sophomore reserve Ian Cook had five points and a game-high 13 rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench.

UCSC plays St. Thomas (8-1) at Colorado College on Sunday at 2 p.m.