Claremont, Calif. - It was a day of basketball, family and friends Sunday afternoon when Illinois Tech women's basketball took on host Pomona-Pitzer. The Scarlet Hawks' west coast trip allowed the family and friends of local-area players Camden Joko, Miabella Spica and Amanda Wang the opportunity to watch and cheer on those players live in person.

The game Sunday was even more special for senior guard Joko, who got the opportunity to play against her younger sister Shea, a sophomore guard on the Sagehens, while their family and friends watched from the stands.

While the results on the court weren't what the Scarlet Hawks were looking for, falling to the Sagehens 76-29, the action on the court took a back seat to the homecoming for the Hawks' California players, especially Joko. Camden and Shea each had a field goal for their teams in the contest, with Shea doling out a team-high six assists for the Sagehens.

"It was a fun experience!" said Camden. "Shea and I played against each other in high school for two years, so being able to replicate that in college means a lot. I'm proud of the both of us for being able to take our talents to the next level and finding successes on our teams."

"It's been amazing to be able to play in front of all my friends and family that haven't been able to watch me play in person," said Joko. "It was cool to see Miabella (Spica) and Amanda's (Wang) families come out and watch them play as well. With the crowd we had at the game, it truly felt like a home game!" Joko said. "I'm so glad I was able to do this for my last season. I honestly got a little bit emotional at the end of the game, realizing how lucky I am to be playing at home in front of my family and against my sister for the last time"

"Homecoming" road trips like these for the Scarlet Hawks gives the opportunity for players to reconnect with family and friends, some of whom have never had the opportunity to watch any of their games in person. The Hawks had a similar trip in November of last year when they traveled to Memphis, Tennessee and senior guard Kaya Jones got a chance to play in her hometown.

"I'm very grateful for Coach C (Head Coach Carissa Sain) to schedule this trip," said Joko. "It's a unique and special experience to play against my younger sister that only happens once in a lifetime. It feels like a great last trip for my last year of basketball and being able to explore Los Angeles has been super fun. Throughout my four years at Illinois Tech, I've been able build a family here, so it was exciting to show them my hometown and meet my family!"

For the game, Chloe Churilla paced the Scarlet Hawks with 12 points and 9 rebounds in 18 minutes played. Churilla has scored in double figures in 5 of the Scarlet Hawks first 9 games, and has scored 9 or more points in 8 of 9 contests.

Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks wrap up their west coast trip with a non-conference game at Caltech on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. CST/12:00 p.m. PST.