Youth and size converged in a heartbreaking 52-45 loss for the women’s basketball against Occidental in a SCIAC tournament semifinal at Occidental last Friday.

Although the season came to a close with the loss, there is reason to be optimistic about what the future holds for the Leopards in the years to come.

Sports results, schedules and standings for the week of March 4, 2011.

To earn a postseason berth, the women’s basketball team needed all four quarters plus overtime to defeat Redlands, 78-77, on a game winning layup by senior forward Emily Carrillo.

The softball team swept its doubleheader conference opener against Cal Lutheran on Monday at Wheeler Park with scores of 3-2 and 6-4.

Two Leopards were victorious in the octagon in amateur mixed martial arts bouts in “Mayhem in El Monte 5” at Florentine Gardens in El Monte last Friday.

The rain started in the fourth inning and did not let up last Friday at Ben Hines Field, cutting La Verne’s home conference opener short and handing them a 2-1 loss to Redlands.

On Monday, the Movement and Sports Science Society held a golf tournament to raise money for members to go to the California Associa­tion for Health, Physical Educa­tion, Recreation and Dance’s annual conference.

The Leopards celebrated senior night for their lone senior Mychal Thomas on Tuesday at Frantz Athletic Court against Redlands, but unfortunately due to a lack of energy, the Leopards fell short 57-46.

The softball team earned its first victory of the season sweeping a doubleheader against Chapman by scores of 11-1 and 4-1 on Saturday.