WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- With sophomore Rebecca Sexton scoring 15 points and grabbing 16 rebounds, Whitman College ran its early season record to 4-0 with a 73-65 victory over Corban College Saturday night in the final game of the Kim Evanger Raney Memorial Classic in Sherwood Center. 

Now 4-0 to start the season, Whitman also got strong nights from two of its juniors. Michelle Krall had 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots, and Hilary White chipped in with 13 points, six rebounds and two steals.

Katie Steigleman led Corban, 2-4, with a game-high 22 points and five boards.

Whitman, which led 33-30 at halftime, converted 29 of 35 free throws, outrebounded Corban 39-30 and forced the Warriors into 17 turnovers. 

The Missionaries jumped in front 18-10 in the first seven minutes, but Corban rallied to slip in front 23-21 with seven minutes left in the opening half. After White's layup with 13 seconds left made it 33-28 Whitman, Ashlee Jensen scored at the buzzer for the Warriors.

Becky Buhler's 3-pointer five minutes into the second half pushed Corban into a 47-45 advantage. Whitman regained the lead for good on jumpers by Jennifer Keyes and Anna Forge, although the Warriors were still within a point at 59-58 with 4:46 left to play. Krall countered with four straight free throws and buckets by Jenele Peterson and Ellen Vertatschitsch gave the Missionaries a 67-60 cushion with 2:18 left.

Corban drew no closer than five points the rest of the way.

Krall did most of her scoring from the free throw line, where she made 13 of 13. Both Sexton  and White were seven of eight at the charity stripe. Peterson, a sophomore point guard, added 11 points, five assists and four steals to the Whitman cause.

Earlier in the evening, Lewis-Clark State broke away from a 42-38 halftime lead to sink Northwest University 90-60.

White, who had 25 points and 10 rebounds in Whitman's Friday night victory over Northwest, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Krall, who had 32 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocked shots in her two tournament games, also was named to the all-tourney team.

Kim Preston for Lewis-Clark State, Katie Steigleman for Corban, and Carleigh Newman for Northwest rounded out the tournament team.

The tournament honors the late Kim Evanger Raney, a graduate of Issaquah (Wash.) High School who also played basketball at Whitman, graduating in 2002 with a degree in pyschology. She died in a cycling accident in March of 2007.

Box score 

 

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