Coupeville Sports

   Makana Stone is averaging a team-high 16 points a night through the first three games of her sophomore season at Whitman. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Call her Ms. Double-Double.

Throwing down like a beast for the second time in as many days, Coupeville grad Makana Stone went for 18 points and 11 rebounds Saturday to spark Whitman College to a huge tourney win.

With Stone controlling the paint and freshman Kaelan Shamseldin drilling three-balls from beyond the arc, the Blues bounced Whittier 64-52 in their finale at the Ramada at Spokane Airport Whit Classic.

Whitman, which has played without preseason All-American Casey Poe so far, is 2-1 on the season.

A huge key to that success? Stone.

As a freshman, the former Wolf was a starter on a Whitman squad which went to the Elite Eight of the NCAA D-III women’s tourney. As a sophomore, she is fast becoming the focal point of the Blues offense.

Stone has hit double figures scoring in every game (10, 20, 18) and leads Whitman at 16 points a night.

With her 11 boards, which ties her best single-game college performance, she pulls within one carom (27-26) of veteran Emily Rommel for the team lead in that category, as well.

Her shooting has been locked-in from the opening tip of the season, as Stone is hitting 58% (15-26) from the floor and 86% (18-21) from the free-throw line.

She’s #1 on the Blues in free throw percentage and #2 in field goal accuracy.

That last stat is a little skewed, as the only teammate Stone is chasing, Anissia Hughes, has built her 60-58% lead while taking far fewer shots, hitting 6-10 from the floor.

Playing against Whittier, Stone divvied up her points, throwing down six in the first quarter, adding five more in the third, than closing like a champ with seven in the game-clinching fourth.

Her back-to-back double-doubles landed Stone a spot on the All-Tournament team.

Shamseldin, who hit six bombs from three-point land Saturday, added 23 points.

Whitman returns to action next weekend, when it plays in the Kim Evanger Raney Classic Nov. 24-25. The Blues play Walla Walla University and the Evergreen State University.

Killer Kailey hits the floor:

Stone wasn’t the only former Wolf to play in a college basketball game Saturday, as her former teammate, Kailey Kellner, suited up for D’Youville College in New York.

Kellner netted two points off a jumper, while also piling up a rebound, assist and steal as the Spartans fell 56-35 to SUNY-Canton.

D’Youville, which is 0-3 on the season, returns to action Monday with a game against Wells College.