Women’s Basketball Grinds Out Solid Win Over Willamette

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Whitman College women’s basketball team stayed unbeaten in Northwest Conference play, grinding out a 51-39 defensive win over Willamette on Saturday afternoon at the Sherwood Center. 

Briana Andrade and Morgan Montgomery paced the Blues with 14 points apiece as Whitman moved to 2-0 in league play and 7-4 overall.​ Riley Walden led Willamette with 13 points and seven rebounds, sparking a brief third-quarter push that trimmed the margin to single digits. Kaitlin Imai added 12 points.

Whitman seized control early, racing to a 17-9 lead after the first quarter behind an aggressive defense that forced six Bearcat turnovers in the opening 10 minutes. Andrade, Montgomery and Holly Morgan combined for all but two of Whitman’s first-period points as the Blues repeatedly turned stops into transition opportunities.​

The momentum carried into the second quarter, where Whitman’s half-court defense held Willamette to just three field goals on 18.8% shooting as the Blues took a 28-15 cushion into halftime. Even as the offense cooled, Whitman dominated the glass and limited second-chance looks to maintain a double-digit edge.​

Andrade finished with a game-high 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting while adding eight rebounds, three steals and a block, consistently punishing the Bearcats in the paint and in transition. Montgomery matched her with 14 points of her own, going 5-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 at the line while chipping in four rebounds and three assists.​

Whitman’s defense set the tone all afternoon, holding Willamette to 30% shooting from the field and just 29.2% from three. The Blues forced 22 Bearcat turnovers and converted them into 19 points, repeatedly stalling any attempt at a Willamette run.​

On the other end, Whitman owned the interior with a 34–10 advantage in points in the paint and a 34–28 edge on the glass. Second-chance opportunities also tilted toward the Blues, who turned offensive rebounds into six points while limiting the Bearcats to just five.​

The Blues conclude their early conference homestand on Tuesday, Jan. 6 against Whitworth. Tipoff at the Sherwood Center is set for 5:30 p.m. 

#GoWhitman

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