Coupeville Sports

Makana Stone went for a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds Saturday, propelling Whitman College to a blowout win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Payback, how sweet it is.

Willamette University stung Whitman College twice in the final four games last season, handing the Blues a pair of crippling losses.

Jump forward to the 2018-2019 season, and the first rematch went in a decidedly different direction.

Fueled by the game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds of Coupeville grad Makana Stone, Whitman crushed Willamette Saturday 75-33.

The win lifts the Blues to 2-0 in Northwest Conference play, leaving them in a first-place tie with Whitworth and George Fox.

Whitman is 5-2 overall, after winning for the third-straight game and fifth time in six games.

The Blues get a rest from league play after this, not facing Northwest Conference foes again until January.

They close the 2018 portion of their schedule with a pair of tournaments, the Kim Evanger Raney Classic in Walla Walla Dec. 7-8 and the UC Santa Cruz Classic in California Dec. 20-21.

Once the new year begins, Whitman returns to conference play, with its final 14 regular season clashes against league opponents.

Saturday night, the Blues savaged their Oregon-based foes, blowing out to an 11-6 lead after one quarter, before really turning up the heat with a torrid 26-7 tear in the second frame.

Stone recorded her third double-double of the season, scoring in every quarter while hitting on 9-15 shots from the floor and going a flawless 2-2 at the line.

Kaylie McCracken notched 11 points in support, while Maegan Martin tossed in 10. Brittany Kochenderfer, whose sweet shooting derailed Whitman last season, topped Willamette with 17.

Stone, who leads the Blues in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, is off to a sizzling start in her junior season.

She currently sits with 117 points, 60 rebounds, nine assists, 11 steals and nine blocks, while shooting 50-91 from the floor and 17-22 at the free-throw line.