WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Rebecca Sexton and Michelle Krall combined for 36 points as the Whitman College women's basketball team opened its season Friday night with an 83-79 victory over Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn.

Michelle Krall

Rebecca Sexton

The loss dropped Macalester to 1-1 on the season.

Sexton, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, made eight of 10 shots from the floor and all three of her free throws to finish with a game-high 19 points. Krall, a junior, added 17 points, making four of five shots from the floor and all six of her charity tosses, to go with six rebounds and four assists.

Whitman also got 13 points and six assists from both junior Hilary White and sophomore Jenele Peterson.

After Macalester scored the final four points of the first half for a 33-33 tie, Whitman busted loose early in the second half, pushing its lead into double digits at 60-50 on Krall's 3-pointer with 11:44 left to play.

The Missionaries took their biggest lead of the night, 70-58, when sophomore Anna Forge completed a 3-point play with 7:27 remaining. Macalester surged back into the game with eight unanswered points over the next two minutes. Sexton's last bucket of the night momentarily stemmed the tide, but Danielle Johnson's 3-pointer with 3:14 left pulled Macalester to within 73-71 on the scoreboard. The Missionary lead stayed at between two and four points the rest of the way.

Hilary White

Jenele Peterson

After White's two free throws with 16 seconds remaining gave Whitman an 81-77 lead, Ann Baltzer scored at the other end to make it 81-79 with seven ticks left on the clock. Peterson was fouled on the inbounds play and made both free throws to seal the win.

As a team, Whitman shot 60 percent from the floor for the game and made 16 of 18 free throws. With Krall hitting three of her four shots from 3-point line, the Missionaries made seven of 16 attempts from beyond the arc. First-year guard Jennifer Keyes was two of three from long range.

"The kids played really well offensively," Whitman coach Michelle Ferenz said. "We didn't do as well on the backboards, and we had to deal with immense foul trouble in the second half. But the kids sucked it up at the end and got a victory to start the season."

Forge, who contributed nine points and five rebounds off the bench, fouled out with 5:20 left on the clock. Krall, Sexton and White all finished the game with four fouls as Whitman was whistled for 23 infractions. Macalester went to the free throw line 32 times but made just 22.   

Whitman's shooting touch was especially deadly in the second half. Over the final 20 minutes,the Missionaries were 17 of 22 from the floor (including four of seven from 3-point) and 12 of 13 from the line.

Box score 

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CONTACT: Dave Holden
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
509 527-5902; holden@whitman.edu