WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- There were many worthy candidates for the moment, the one that defined a victory that the school, its fans and its once-in-a-lifetime ensemble of hardwood savants will never forget.

As many moments, perhaps, as there were witnesses at Sherwood Center on Saturday to the biggest home basketball game in the history of Whitman College.

Then again, it has never been about one here. The brilliance that has carried these Missionaries has been orchestral from Day 1, and so it was that they swept past top-ranked, undefeated Thomas More 76-60 and onto a stage worthy of their collective excellence.

The Final Four, that is.

Whitman's win in a NCAA Division III women's basketball sectional final clinched the program's first trip to the national semifinals, where it will face 13th-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (26-4) on March 21 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

"Last year, we made it to the Elite Eight," said Missionaries guard Tiffani Traver, one of the four Whitman seniors that head coach Michelle Ferenz selected for the post-game press conference. "This year, we wanted to get to this point -- and get past it."

Past it they got, and emphatically so. After a series of playoff wins featuring explosive first halves, the Missionaries on Saturday saved their trademark burst for the second.

An impossibly tense and tenuous 25-23 halftime lead mushroomed to 39-23 in the first four minutes after halftime. First it was Hailey Mcdonald, the plucky sophomore guard, stroking a 3-pointer from the top of the key, set up by Meghan White's kick-out from a ganglia of limbs in the paint.

The same duet, roles reversed, turned a Mcdonald steal into a White basket on the break. Heather Johns took the torch and stoked it, nailing consecutive buttery jumpers. Senior Sarah Anderegg kept the finishing kick flying by pushing the ball up court and sticking a jumper, and after White blocked a shot, she finished a fast break off a dime from Traver.

Underwriting the offensive elegance was a series of stops against the nation's top-scoring team.

"I'm excited about how well we defended and rebounded," Whitman head coach Michelle Ferenz said. "We rushed them on their shooting and contested some shots they weren't used to having contested."

"Whitman is long and athletic. They defended us well," added Thomas More head coach Jeff Hans. "We missed some shots we normally make."

"We hang our hat on our defense," said White.

Despite losing the nation's leading scorer, sophomore Sydney Moss, to a knee injury late in the first half, the Saints (31-1) "kept attacking," noted Ferenz, and cut Whitman's lead to eight points, twice, inside the final 11 minutes.

But Whitman hit 20 of 26 free throws in the second half and had just six turnovers over the final 20 minutes.

And it was eloquent under fire. Whether it was Johns' almost accidental discovery of Hailey Ann Maeda alone behind the scrambling Thomas More press for a layin and 45-32 lead with 12:19 to go, or Johns' court-length pass to a streaking Anderegg -- her touch so soft Johns could have bounced a water balloon off a porcupine -- for an Anderegg layin and a 16-point lead inside five minutes to play.

"The Northwest Conference prepared us to have great legs and great focus," said White. "Plus, this was our last game on our home floor."

Anderegg bid farewell to Sherwood with 20 points, 11 rebounds, two blocked shots and two steals. Traver's "adieu" featured nine points, three assists and six made free throws on six attempted. White said goodbye with 15 points and 11 boards. Marah Alindogan darted her way to two steals, a bucket and a free throw in a three-minute salute.

And junior Johns (13 points, three steals), and sophomores Mcdonald (13 points, three steals), and Maeda (six points, five rebounds, two blocks) said "See you next year" to the home crowd in style.

Ferenz paid tribute to her senior quartet.

"These four have about as different of personalities as you can get," she said of Anderegg, Traver, White and Alindogan. "But they are four very good friends who made a commitment to each other and to the program four years ago. They are always really good to each other, but they push each other.

"They're honest about what needs to be done."