WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- With sophomores Jenele Peterson and Rebecca Sexton leading the points parade, the Whitman College women's basketball team trampled Ohio's Oberlin College 75-36 Saturday afternoon on the Macalester College campus in St. Paul, Minn.

Jenele Peterson

Peterson, a 5-foot-7 point guard, directed the onslaught with 17 points and four steals, both of which were game-high numbers. Sexton, a 6-foot-3 center, made eight of 11 shots from the floor en route to 16 points and three blocked shots.

All 11 players on the Whitman roster made the scoring column. Junior Hilary White chipped in with 11 points while sophomore Anna Forge grabbed a game-high eight rebounds to go with six points. Junior Michelle Krall added seven points, five rebounds, three rebounds and three assists.

The Missionaries, now 2-0 to start the season, never trailed in the game and led 36-18 at halftime. They shot 50 percent from the floor and outrebounded Oberlin 37-29.

Oberlin, an NCAA Div. III member of the North Coast Atlantic Conference, was playing its first game of the season.

Rebecca Sexton

After the two teams deadlocked at 2-2 in the opening minutes, the Missionaries scored the next 11 points to seize control. After White's free throw with 6:49 left in the half made it 20-10 Whitman, Peterson converted two more charity tosses with 43 seconds remaining to give the Missionaries their 18-point halftime lead. 

Peterson drilled a 3-pointer to open the second half and Oberlin drew no closer than 18 points the rest of the way. A Jessica Brice 3-pointer at the 9:16 mark gave Whitman a 30-point cushion, 59-29, and two free throws by Kirsten Vaculik with 2:37 remaining treated the Missionaries to their largest lead of the night at 73-31. 

Whitman's defense forced 25 turnovers and limited Oberlin to a 30.6 percent shooting night. January Baker and Kayla Brandt were Oberlin's leading scorers with eight points apiece.

Whitman plays its home openers next weekend in hosting the second annual Kim Evanger Raney Memorial Classic in Sherwood Center.

The Missionaries battle Northwest University on Friday and Corban College on Saturday. Both games start at 6 p.m. Lewis-Clark State, the fourth team in the tourney, plays Northwest and Corban on alternate nights, starting at 4 p.m.

There is no admission charge for the tournament games, although donations will be accepted at the door for the Kim Evanger Raney Foundation, which supports support organizations for children in the Seattle area. Evanger Raney, a former basketball player who graduated from Whitman in 2002, died in a bicycling accident in March 2007. 

Box score 

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