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WALLA WALLA, Wash. – For the second straight night the No. 5 Whitman College women’s basketball team was pushed to the brink. Linfield did it on Friday and George Fox did the same on Saturday, but the Blues prevailed in both instances, beating the Bruins 48-45 to win the Northwest Conference Tournament on Saturday at the Sherwood Center.
The win gives the Blues the league’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament, but as one of the top teams in the nation and a 26-1 record, hosting the NCAA first and second rounds is within the realm of possibility. All will be revealed when the NCAA unveils its field of 64 on Monday, March 3 at 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
Korin Baker scored a team-high 10 points to go along with eight rebounds for the Blues who shot only 41% from the floor but forced the Bruins into a 31% shooting night which proved to be the most dramatic statistical difference. Christiane Carlisle and Carly Martin both scored nine points, and Lindsay Drango chipped in eight points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Hanne Hopkins and Alyssa Wells were the dominant forces for the Bruins. Hopkins led all scorers with 16 points and Wells posted a double double with 15 points and a game-high 12 boards.
After a hot early start from the Blues, George Fox settled in and led 20-15 after a high-scoring opening quarter. Points would become a premium in the final three quarters, particularly for the Bruins who didn’t reach 10 points in each of the final three periods.
The fourth quarter began with the Blues up one point, but after made jumpers from Baker and Holly Morgan, Whitman had taken a 46-40 lead with just under four minutes to play. George Fox had one final possession to tie the game but Kylie Ritter’s three point attempt was off the mark.
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