Career Nights For Baker, Montgomery In Rout of Whitworth

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Whitman College women’s basketball team dominated wire to wire, racing out early and never looking back in a 74-39 rout of Whitworth in Northwest Conference play Tuesday night at the Sherwood Center. 

The win in the first edition of the Battle of the Whits keeps the Blues perfect in league action at 3-0 and pushes their overall mark to 8-4.​

Emma Lena Baker delivered a breakout performance in the paint, posting career highs with 22 points and 14 rebounds to anchor Whitman on both ends. Baker was relentless around the rim, going 8-for-13 from the field and 6-for-6 at the line while piling up putbacks and sealing off the glass.​

On the perimeter, Morgan Montgomery caught fire for a career-best 21 points, knocking down 7-of-10 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 4-for-4 at the stripe. Her scoring bursts bookended Whitman’s runs, as she mixed transition layups with rhythm threes to stretch the Pirate defense.​

Whitman seized control immediately, opening a 24-10 lead after the first quarter behind efficient shooting and swarming defense. The Blues forced turnovers early and turned them into points, building a 36-17 cushion by halftime while never surrendering the lead.​

Coming out of the locker room, Whitman put the game out of reach with a 20-point third quarter, pushing the margin to 56-30 after three. Baker powered the frame with multiple rim runs and free throws, while Montgomery and the Whitman guards capitalized on live-ball steals to keep the pace high.​

Briana Andrade added a steady two-way line with 10 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, often extending possessions and facilitating from the midrange. Avery Neal chipped in five points, three assists, and solid perimeter defense, helping to initiate offense and space the floor around Baker and Montgomery.​

Ava DePew led the Pirate effort, nearly posting a double double with team highs of 10 points and eight rebounds.

Whitman now hits the road for the first time during conference play, visiting Linfield for a Friday night matchup this week against the Wildcats at 5:30 p.m. 

#GoWhitman

Read Full Article