Eileen and Makana Stone celebrate the good times. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Undisputed, and it feels so good.
Garnering a bit of sweet payback, the Whitman College women’s basketball squad drilled visiting Pacific University 72-46 Saturday afternoon.
The win, coming on Senior Night, is the ninth-straight for the Blues and lifts them to 13-1 in Northwest Conference play, 21-2 overall.
It also gives Whitman sole possession of the league crown, their first since the 2013-2014 season, and the #1 seed for the postseason conference tourney.
The Blues, who were sparked to Saturday’s win by an 18-point, 13-rebound performance from Coupeville’s Makana Stone, have two regular-season games left on the schedule.
They host Whitworth this coming Tuesday, then travel to Linfield Friday, February 21.
Whitman kicks off the four-team NWC tourney Feb. 27, when it hosts the #4 team.
Win there, and it meets the winner of the #2-#3 matchup Feb. 29, also on its home floor at Sherwood Athletic Center in Walla Walla, with the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA D-III championships on the line.
Saturday, Stone was honored along with fellow Blues seniors Lily Gustafson, Katie Stahl, Mady Burdett, and Natalie Whitesel.
Then the five-pack hit the hardwood and raised their record to 89-19 during their time in Walla Walla.
One of the few missteps for Whitman this season came in the first rumble with Pacific back in January, when the Blues squandered a 19-point first-half lead and fell 65-64.
There would be no such shenanigans this time around.
The game was close for a bit, with Pacific hanging around and trailing just 16-10 at the first break and 30-27 at the half.
Then the Blues decided to start mashin’ folks, throwing down a game-busting 22-5 tear in the third, with Stone going for eight points to fuel the explosion.
From there, Whitman coasted home, on its way to another celebration.
While Stone’s 18 and 13 were both game-highs, she got some help from her fellow seniors, with Burdett tossing in 14 points, and Gustafson banking in 12.
On the season, Stone sits with 366 points, 198 rebounds, 33 assists, 25 steals, and 20 blocked shots, while shooting 149-281 (53%) from the field and 65-83 (78.3%) from the free throw line.
The former Wolf ace hit two more career milestones Saturday, as her third rebound of the game was the 800th of her career.
She also played 28 minutes, giving her exactly 2,500 for her collegiate career.
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