WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Kaylie McCracken dropped a double double with 16 points and 10 rebounds and the eighth-ranked Whitman College women's basketball team rallied in the second half to top Pacific, 57-47, on Tuesday night in a battle of unbeaten Northwest Conference teams

Sydney Abbott and Kaelan Shamseldin both added 10 points and two steals for the Blues (13-1, 5-0 NWC) who exploded for 23 fourth-quarter points after only putting eight up on the board in a rough-shooting third period.

Sydney Gray recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Boxers (11-4, 5-1 NWC) who dropped their first league loss of the season. Brilie Kovaloff chipped in a team-high 15 points.

Whitman never trailed in the first half but it was a competitive 20 minutes nonetheless. The Blues led by only one after the opening quarter but scored the first seven points of the second. Shamseldin followed an Abbott layup with a three pointer and the Blues led 17-9 with 7:48 to play in the half. 

Rilee Price kept the Boxers in the game though, hitting a pair of jumpers to shave the lead to two points with 3:18 remaining. Shaira Young and Kovaloff exchanged baskets in the final 1:36 as Whitman took a six-point lead into the break.

The Blues could not find the basket in the third quarter, one that saw them score only eight points on two made field goals. Whitman's defense was still on display as the Blues trailed by only a point heading to the final quarter.

Whitman exploded in the fourth quarter and pulled away late for the victory. Despite the offensive turnaround, the Blues did fall behind by as many as five points when Kovaloff hit from the field with 7:59 to play. The Blues rallied and tied the game at 44-44 on a Lindsay Drango buckett. After McCracken broke the tie with a pair of free throws, Shamseldin put her team in the driver's seat with a straightaway three pointer and the Blues led 49-44 with 1:36 to play. McCracken later scored on the break to seal the win.

Whitman returns to the court tomorrow for a matchup against Linfield. Tipoff at the Sherwood Center is set for 6:00 p.m.