Walla Walla, Wash. – The Missionaries put together two huge runs, one in each half, in defeating Pacific University tonight 61 – 31 at the Sherwood Athletic Center, improving their NWC record to 9 – 2 and putting them into a three-way tie for first place, courtesy of a Lewis & Clark loss at Whitworth 53 – 52.
Whitman, L & C and George Fox all stand at 9 – 2 with the Pioneers coming to play the Missionaries tomorrow night – 6 pm tip – and George Fox visiting next Friday. For complete NWC standings click Standings.
Sophomore forward Hallie Buse (Boise, ID) scored a game-high 14 on perfect shooting from beyond the arc (4-of-4) and the Whits held the Boxers to just 23 % shooting – 17 % in the second half -- in sweeping the season series from Pacific.
After the Boxers grabbed an early 6 – 5 lead on forward Page Jensen's scoop shot at the 15:48 mark, the Missionaries controlled most of the rest of the half. Whitman went on a 17-to-0 run over the next 6:34 to grab a commanding 22 – 6 advantage. During the spurt, Buse hit three treys. The run was broken when Anuhea Wall converted a layup with 9:31 remaining in the half.
Pacific battled back to cut the lead to ten at the half 28 – 18, scoring the last seven points before the break as Wall drained a three from the wing and hit two free-throws to close the scoring.
The first six minutes of the second stanza were a virtual stalemate as the Boxers cut the lead to nine on a free-throw from Hall, but then the lid went on the hoop for Pacific and Whitman, in turn, found its offensive rhythm. The Missionaries proceeded to go on a 21-to-nothing run over the next seven-plus minutes.
Freshman point guard Alyssa Maine (Spokane, WA) got things started with a baseline jumper and then followed it with a trey. Whitman reached a 20-point advantage when junior post Meghan White (Huntington Beach, CA) hit a short turn-around jumper to make it 45 – 25 with 6:35 to play. It became a 30-point margin when Maine drilled another three-ball from the wing, capping the run at 55 - 25. The Boxers ended the run with a layup by guard Erica Colter twenty-seconds later.
Heather Lovelace (So, McKinleyville, CA) came off the bench to score 10 for the Missionaries, accounting for the only other Whitman player to record double-figures. Maine and Sarah Anderegg (Jr, Redmond, WA) both had eight, as ten players ended up in the scoring column. White had a game-high 8 rebounds.
Pacific was led in scoring by Jensen who had 7. Olivia Cook had 6.
Pacific now heads north to face Whitworth. The Boxers are, now, 5 – 6 in the NWC and 12 – 7 on the season. The Missionaries overall mark is 16 – 3.
Contact:
Andrew Holt
Whitman Sports Information Director
509.527.5902