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Posts Tagged ‘Mady Burdett’

One down, one to go

Posted in Basketball, Wolves in college, tagged , , , , , on February 27, 2020| Leave a Comment »

“You can’t contain us! You can’t beat us!!” (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

One win away from punching a guaranteed ticket to the big dance.

The Whitman College women’s basketball team jumped out quickly Thursday on the University of Puget Sound, then held off a late rally to claim a 72-66 home win in the semifinals of the Northwest Conference postseason tourney.

With the win, their 12th straight, the Blues improve to 24-2 and advance to the championship game of the NWC tourney.

They’ll face arch-rival George Fox University (20-6) Saturday, after the Bruins upended Pacific University 56-47.

The winner claims an automatic berth to the 64-team NCAA D-III national championships, which run March 6-22, while the loser waits to see if they can nab an at-large bid.

Win or lose Saturday, it seems all but certain Whitman, currently ranked #7 in the nation, will be part of March Madness.

It would be the third trip to the big dance in four years for the Blues seniors – Lily Gustafson, Mady Burdett, Katie Stahl, Natalie Whitsel, and Coupeville grad Makana Stone.

Whitman advanced all the way to the Elite Eight during their freshman campaign in 2016-2017, and the group is a stellar 92-19 overall since arriving in Walla Walla.

Thursday’s game was one in which Whitman almost pulled away several times, only to have a pesky Puget Sound squad mount mini-comeback after mini-comeback.

Blues gunner Kaelan Shamseldin opened the game with a three-ball, before Stone slapped home back-to-back layups to stake Whitman to a 7-3 lead.

After the game’s one and only tie at 3-3, the Blues led the entire night.

Up 15-5 after one quarter, Whitman stretched the lead out to 33-20 midway through the second quarter, with Stone once again stepping up.

The Northwest Conference Player of the Year hit a jumper and a free throw, then made off with a steal to set up a potentially game-busting jumper from Kaylie McCracken.

But it wasn’t to be, as UPS closed within eight at the half (38-30), fell behind by 13 in the third, then roared all the way back within four points with under two minutes to play.

Clinging to a 68-64 lead, Whitman put the ball in Burdett’s hands, and the sweet-shootin’ assassin from Edmonds closed the game by rippling the nets on four consecutive free throws to cap a team-high 16-point performance.

The Blues only got scoring from six players, but four of those finished in double-digits.

McCracken pumped in 15, Gustafson banked home 13, Shamseldin made the nets jump for 12, and Taylor Chambers popped for nine.

Hampered by foul trouble all night, Stone had a relatively quiet night, finishing with seven points, four rebounds, an assist, and a steal in just 26 minutes of action.

Also having a very muted game was Puget Sound’s First-Team All-Conference player Jamie Lange, a double-double machine who was held to just eight points and three rebounds in her collegiate swan song.

On the season, Stone sits with 405 points, 220 rebounds, 37 assists, 26 steals, and 25 blocked shots, while shooting 166-313 (53%) from the floor and 70-88 (79.5%) from the free throw line.

The 405 points is the 10th best individual scoring season by a Whitman women’s player.

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Big rebounds, bigger win

Posted in Basketball, Wolves in college, tagged , , , , , on February 21, 2020| Leave a Comment »

CHS grad Makana Stone became the #2 rebounder in Whitman College women’s basketball history Friday night. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

It’s as close to a sure thing as possible.

Put Whitman College and Linfield College on the floor for a women’s basketball game, and the squad from Walla Walla is going to triumph.

Friday night was more of a great thing for the Blues, as Whitman got 18 points from Coupeville’s Makana Stone and hit its free throws down the stretch to capture a 74-65 win in its regular-season finale.

The former Wolf also hit a major milestone, moving into 2nd place on her school’s career rebounding chart.

The road victory, coming in front of a raucous crowd in McMinnville, Oregon, marked the 26th consecutive time Whitman has beaten its Northwest Conference foe.

The last time Linfield toppled Whitman came way back in 2007.

While keeping their domination of the Wildcats chugging along, the Blues capped a 15-1 tear through the NWC this season, and head into the playoffs at 23-2 overall, with an active 11-game win streak.

Whitman opens the four-team league postseason tourney next Thursday, February 27, when it hosts the #4 school in a loser-out game.

Several teams are still battling for that slot, though Linfield was eliminated from contention with Friday’s loss.

Win in the tourney semifinals, and the Blues host the NWC championship game Feb. 29 against either George Fox or Pacific, with an automatic bid to the NCAA D-III tourney up for grabs.

Wrapping the regular season, Whitman wasn’t flawless, but it was very good when it mattered most.

Stone dropped in eight of her 18 points in the fourth quarter, as the Blues surged to a 12-point lead, before giving a chunk of it back.

Desperate to keep its playoff hopes alive, Linfield carved the lead all the way back to 66-62 with a minute to play, but Whitman never blinked.

Instead, the Blues made the nets jump while all the players were standing still, hitting 8 of 10 free throws across the game’s final 58 seconds to ice the win.

Taylor Chambers (5), Mady Burdett (3), and Kaylie McCracken (2) all converted charity shots to shush the enthusiastic pro-Linfield crowd, capping a fourth quarter in which Whitman hit 14-16 from the line.

The game was close for much of the night, with Whitman clinging to a 17-15 lead after one quarter of play.

With Stone heating up in the second frame, slapping home her team’s first eight points, the Blues stretched the advantage out to 38-29 at the half, before carrying a 52-44 lead into the fourth quarter.

Even saddled with foul trouble, Coupeville’s ace came up big in crunch time, as Stone capped her scoring effort with a dagger of a pull-up jumper.

On the night, the CHS grad finished with 18 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two blocked shots, tying Burdett for team-high scoring honors.

Lily Gustafson chipped in with 11 points, while McCracken banked home 10 as Whitman put four players into double-digits scoring.

As she heads into her final collegiate playoff run, Stone sits with 398 points, 216 rebounds, 36 assists, 25 steals, and 25 blocks on the season.

She’s shooting 163-304 (53.6%) from the floor and 69-87 (79.3%) from the free throw line.

Already the #5 scorer in Whitman women’s basketball history with 1,325 career points (she’s 18 away from moving into 4th place), Stone is now the #2 rebounder for the program.

She passed Katie Rubenser (824) Friday, and, with 828 rebounds to her credit, trails just Jennifer McClure (902) on the all-time list.

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Put another one in the win column

Posted in Basketball, Wolves in college, tagged , , , , , on February 7, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Makana Stone (23) moved into 5th place on the Whitman College women’s basketball career scoring chart Friday, sparking the Blues to another league win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

One step closer to that elusive league title.

Taking care of business on the front end of a two-game trip to Oregon, the Whitman College women’s basketball squad came out Friday night and polished off Willamette 72-54.

The victory, sparked by a 14-point, 9-rebound performance by Coupeville’s Makana Stone, lifts the Blues to 10-1 in Northwest Conference play, 18-2 overall.

Whitman, ranked #8 in NCAA D-III, is a game-and-a-half up on George Fox University (9-3, 17-4) and two ahead of Pacific University (8-3, 14-6).

The Blues, who have won six straight, go for a weekend sweep Saturday, when they jump from Salem to Portland to face cellar-dweller Lewis & Clark College (1-10, 2-17).

In Friday’s game Whitman struggled a bit in the early going, watching layup after layup slide off the rim.

Willamette netted a pair of long three-balls and led the entire way, heading to the first break up 13-9.

Jump forward a few minutes, and things started to finally click for the Blues.

Trailing 16-11, Whitman went off on a 10-0 run, with Stone dropping six points and Elena McHargue chipping in with four during the surge.

The first lead of the night for the Blues came at 17-16, off of a play on which Stone rolled hard to the hoop, pulled in a lob and slapped home the layup with great emphasis.

While Willamette managed to get back to a 21-21 tie, for a moment at least, the host Bearcats would never lead again on this night.

Up 28-25 at the half, Whitman put the game on ice with a 12-3 run to end the third quarter, stretching the margin out to 49-36.

Stone and Taylor Chambers each banked in five points during the display of run ‘n gun fun times, with the former Coupeville ace moving into 5th place on the Whitman women’s career scoring list with her next-to-last bucket.

The fourth quarter was about getting a fair amount of playing time for the Blues reserves, as Whitman pushed the lead all the way out to 20 points, then sauntered in with the win.

Stone’s 14 points topped the Blues, while her nine boards were a game-high. She also added two steals, an assist, and a thunderous block off the back wall.

Whitman, as usual, had very-balanced scoring, with Kaylie McCracken (12), Mady Burdett (11), Elena McHargue (9), and Lily Gustafson (9) all having strong nights.

On the season, Stone has 320 points, 163 rebounds, 28 assists, 22 steals, and 17 blocked shots, while shooting 131-242 (54.1%) from the floor and 55-72 (76.3%) at the free-throw line.

With 1,247 points and counting, the CHS grad passed Erica Aydelotte (1,243) Friday, and trails just Katie Rubenser (1,693), Jennifer McClure (1,639), Heather Johns (1,411), and Sarah Anderegg (1,342) on Whitman’s career scoring chart.

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Stone, Blues back in the penthouse

Posted in Basketball, Wolves in college, tagged , , , , on January 25, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville grad Makana Stone rattled the rims for a game-high 22 points Saturday as Whitman pounded Linfield. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Hello first-place, my old friend.

Riding high after a big win Saturday night, the Whitman College women’s basketball team is back on top of the Northwest Conference standings.

The Blues did their part, bashing visiting Linfield College 82-63 in Walla Walla behind a game-high 22 points from Coupeville grad Makana Stone.

But they also got a little help, as Pacific Lutheran University shocked Pacific University 61-58 in Tacoma, handing the Boxers their first league loss.

Now, Whitman, 7-1 in conference action, 15-2 overall, moves back into a tie with Pacific (7-1, 13-4) atop the nine-team league, two games up on George Fox (5-3, 13-4) with eight to play.

The Blues, whose only league loss was a one-point thriller against Pacific, gets their rematch with the Boxers February 15 in Walla Walla.

Until then, Whitman will hit the road, playing its next four games away from the Sherwood Athletic Center.

Next weekend, the Blues travel to Tacoma to play PLU and the University of Puget Sound.

Saturday, Whitman led from start to finish, busting out to an 8-0 lead and never looking back.

A 25-20 advantage after one quarter stretched out to a 42-31 lead at the half, then a 61-44 bulge headed into the final frame.

Stone paced the Blues, dropping in 14 of her 22 in the first half, while three of her teammates also finished with double-digits scoring.

Kaylie McCracken pumped in 16, Mady Burdett banked home 14, and Shaira Young tickled the twines for 11.

Along with her point explosion, Stone added eight rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a blocked shot in 30 minutes of floor time.

On the season, the former Wolf star has 264 points, 130 rebounds, 25 assists, 20 steals, and 16 blocks, while shooting 109-202 (53.9%) from the floor and 43-55 (78.1%) from the free throw line.

Saturday’s game was the 100th of Stone’s collegiate career.

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Some angina, but a win

Posted in Basketball, Wolves in college, tagged , , , , , on January 21, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville’s Makana Stone delivered big plays late Tuesday as Whitman held off Whitworth for an important league win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They didn’t crack.

Playing a rare Tuesday game, the Whitman College women’s basketball team blew out to a 27-point lead on the road, then gave it all back, yet still found a way to win.

With their senior leaders, Mady Burdett and Coupeville’s Makana Stone, coming up big in the final moments, the Blues held on to edge host Whitworth 84-79.

The win lifts Whitman to 6-1 in Northwest Conference play, 14-2 overall, and pulls it within a half game of league leader Pacific University, which sits at 6-0 in conference action.

The battle of the Whits looked like a blowout in the first half, as a veteran Blues squad torched a very-young Whitworth team.

With Burdett rattling home 18 first-half points, including hitting all four of her three-point attempts, Whitman surged to a 49-22 lead with seconds to go before the break.

Whitworth swished a three-ball at the very end of the half, but, in the moment, it seemed like an afterthought, a way to make a 27-point deficit look slightly better as a 24-point gap.

Instead, it was a sign of things to come, as the host Pirates suddenly started dropping treys from every part of the floor.

Hitting six shots from behind the arc in the third, including one literally at the buzzer, Whitworth scored more points in the quarter than they had in the entire first half.

And yet, even with a 30-19 tear, the Pirates still trailed the Blues 68-55 with 10 minutes to play.

That changed quickly, however, as Whitworth opened the fourth quarter with 10 straight points fueled by another pair of three-balls, eventually using a 16-3 run to knot the game up at 71-71.

Pirate sophomore gunner Sydney Abbott, who finished with a game-high 26, knifed through the Blues defense for a hard-earned running layup, then plopped in a free throw to complete the game-tying three-point play.

Whitman’s experience paid off, though, as it reclaimed the lead on a Kaylie McCracken free throw and a Taylor Chambers layup.

Then, Stone and Burdett slid back to the forefront to ice the game.

Coupeville’s progeny pulled off back-to-back sparkling plays to shove the lead from 74-72 to 78-72, and Whitman never looked back.

On the first play, Stone delivered a dagger, nailing a leaning jumper over her defender.

Then, next time down the floor, she delivered a sensational entry pass to Lily Gustafson, who banked in a runner to quiet the raucous crowd.

From there, Whitman closed the game with a series of trips to the free throw line, led by Burdett, who went 4-4 at the end to cap a 22-point night.

The senior from Edmonds tallied her 1,000th career point in the first half, joining Stone in that exclusive club.

The Blues put four players into double figures, with McCracken (16), Kaelan Shamseldin (12), and Gustafson (12) joining Burdett.

Stone, who was restricted by foul trouble much of the night, finished with nine points, five rebounds, a steal, and an assist.

On the season, the former Wolf has 242 points, 122 rebounds, 22 assists, 19 steals, and 15 blocks, and is shooting 98-184 (53.3%) from the floor and 43-55 (78.2%) at the free throw line.

Whitman returns to action with a home game Saturday against Linfield, which will be the 100th game of Stone’s collegiate career.

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