Coupeville Sports

Coupeville grad Makana Stone tossed in 25 points Friday as Whitman College women’s basketball rolled to its fourth-straight win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Makana Stone has found her groove.

The Coupeville grad threw down 25 points Friday night, missing her collegiate-high by just a single point, as Whitman College women’s basketball crushed visiting Colorado College 99-60.

The victory, coming in the first of two games the Blues will play in their annual Kim Evanger Raney Classic, is Whitman’s fourth-straight and sixth in its last seven games.

Now 6-2 on the season, Stone and her associates return to their home court in Walla Walla Saturday to face Thomas More College.

Whitman came out red-hot Friday and never cooled off, with the 99 points its second-best team scoring performance of the season.

The Blues dropped 107 on Walla Walla College in an earlier game.

It actually took Stone a minute or two to lock in, as she rimmed out her first three shots.

Things changed when she pulled off the kind of play Coupeville fans grew accustomed to enjoying during her prep career, as she picked the pocket of a rival ball-handler, then beat the crowd to the other end for a layup.

After that, Stone was unstoppable, tossing in eight points in both the first and second quarter.

With the game turning into a blowout, she added seven more in the third, then a single basket in the fourth before heading to the bench early.

Stone finished the game 12-18 from the field, snatched five rebounds and added an assist to go with her steal.

It was the fourth time she has topped 20 points this season, and the Whitman junior has hit double digits in seven of eight.

The 25 points was one shy of the 26 she banked home against Montana Tech.

Whitman surged to a 27-11 lead after one quarter Friday, but Colorado stiffened its chin a bit and eked out a 23-23 tie in the second frame.

After the halftime break, it was back to being all Blues, all the time, as Whitman threw down 23-11 and 26-15 runs in the final two quarters.

Four Blues players scored in double figures, with Mady Burdett knocking down 21.

Stone, who leads her squad in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, has 142 points, 65 rebounds, 10 assists, 12 steals and nine blocks on the year.

She’s shooting 62-109 from the field and 18-24 at the line.