McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Mady Burdett scored 18 points on a scorching 4-7 in three pointers, Makana Stone added 18 more to share team-high honors and the No. 7 Whitman College women's basketball team closed the regular season with a 74-65 win over Linfield in Northwest Conference action on Friday at Ted Wilson Gym.

With a share of the league title clinched a week ago, and the No. 1 seed in next weekend's NWC Tournament secured a day later, the Blues (23-2, 15-1 NWC) kept their momentum going with a win vs. Whitworth on Tuesday and tonight's steady victory over the Wildcats.

Lily Gustafson scored 11 points to make it three Whitman starters in double figures and Kaylie McCracken, playing her best ball of the season, notched a near double double off the bench with 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds.

Shasta Lofgren (23 points) and Kory Oleson (21 points) shouldered the load for the Wildcats (12-12, 6-9 NWC).

The Blues came out like gangbusters, reeling off eight straight points to start the game capped by a Burdett three-pointer. The home side weathered the storm as Lofgren hit a three pointer and scored on a layup to quickly even the game at 10-10 with 4:26 to play. The run continued as the Wildcats took a three-point lead but a flurry of points from Burdett gave her team a 17-15 lead through one quarter.

Whitman regained control in the second quarter, opening up a 27-19 lead on a Macy Hampton layup with 6:01 to play. Gustafson's three-pointer later gave the Blues their first double-digit lead before a Natalie Whitesel layup as time expired put the Blues up 38-29 at the break.

The lead swelled after halftime. Burdett got clipped as she nailed a three-pointer and, after sinking the free throw for the four-point play, had the Blues up 44-31. Burdett later hit another three-pointer to keep Linfield at arms length, but a mini Wildcat run at the end of the third quarter shaved the Whitman lead to eight points.

The lead tinkered around 10 points for much of the fourth quarter before Linfield made a final push. A pair of Ragan Delaney layups sandwiched around a Lofgren three pointer cut the advantage to four points with just over a minute to play. That would be as close as Linfield would get through as the Blues hit their free throws and closed out the win.

Whitman now looks toward the first round of the Northwest Conference Tournament. The Blues will host one semifinal at the Sherwood Center this Thursday, Feb. 27, time and opponent is still to be determined.