Makana Stone and Whitman are 12-1 after dismantling Willamette. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
One big test passed, one to go.
Paced by a 19-point, 8-rebound performance from Coupeville’s Makana Stone, the Whitman College women’s basketball team shredded visiting Willamette University 74-54 Saturday afternoon.
A matchup between two of the three previously undefeated teams in the Northwest Conference, it’s a huge boost for the Blues, who are ranked #12 in NCAA D-III play.
Now 4-0 in league, 12-1 overall, Whitman sits in a first-place tie with Pacific University (4-0, 10-3), a game up on Willamette (3-1, 9-4) atop the nine-team conference.
And that second big test? It arrives in six days.
The Blues travel to Oregon next weekend, hitting Forest Grove Friday and Newberg Saturday.
The first night will be a battle with Pacific for sole possession of first place, while the second pits Whitman against always-tough George Fox University.
Saturday’s showdown with Willamette, coming on “Bring A Girl to the Game Night,” left a ton of happy fans at the Sherwood Athletic Center in Walla Walla.
While the visiting Bearcats scored the first bucket of the game, after that it was all Whitman, all the time.
Stone helped kick off a 10-0 run by knocking down a jumper, then coming back around to make off with a steal and feed teammate Kaelan Shamseldin for an electric three-ball.
From there, the Blues never looked back and never slowed down, steadily stretching the lead out, quarter by quarter.
Up 24-12 at the first break, Whitman moved the margin to 43-24 at the half and 58-37 after three quarters of play.
Stone poured in points in all four quarters, and got plenty of backup as Mady Burdett popped for 16, Shamseldin rattled the rims for 10, and Kaylie McCracken just missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.
Saturday’s performance continues a very-strong season for the former Wolf star.
On the year, Stone sit with 201 points, 110 rebounds, 16 assists, 18 steals, and 12 blocked shots.
She’s hit 81-151 (53.6%) from the field and 37-46 (80.4%) from the line.
After scoring 1,158 points during her high school career — third-best in CHS hoops history, girl or boy — Stone has poured in 1,129 during her collegiate run.
That puts her #7 all-time in Whitman women’s basketball history, just 17 points away from passing former teammate Casey Poe to claim 6th place.
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