WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- With first-year shooter Jennifer Keyes erupting for 28 points, the Whitman College women rolled over Walla Walla University 89-42 Tuesday night in Sherwood Center to set a new school record for most season-opening victories without a loss.

Jennifer Keyes

Improving to 7-0 for the first time in the women's program history, the Missionaries surpassed a mark first set by their 1991-92 basketball predecessors.

Keyes, a Walla Walla High School graduate, lofted home eight 3-pointers -- six in the second half -- to tie the single-game school record for long balls.

Miryia Libbey was a first-year forward in December of 2002 when she set the school record with eight 3-pointers against Lewis-Clark State. Libbey played just one college season because of injury.

Whitman jumped to a 27-10 after the first 11 minutes of play, but Walla Walla rallied to trail by  just six points at the break, 31-25. The Missionaries regained control to start the second stanza, using a 17-3 spurt in the first five minutes to lead 48-28.

With Keyes getting hot from the 3-point line, Whitman continued to build its lead from there. Her sixth 3-pointer of the half came with 42 seconds left and were the last points scored.

Playing 23 minutes, Keyes was eight of 14 from the 3-point arc. She also had four rebounds, four steals and  three assists.

Junior Hilary White added 15 points while Kirsten Vaculik, a first-year center, scored a career-high 14 points and grabbed six rebounds. Sophomore Jessica Brice drained two 3-pointers and finished with 11 points and six rebounds. Anna Forge, also a sophomore, snared a game-high nine rebounds to go with seven points. 

Jennifer Buchheim led Walla Walla with 12 points and eight rebounds. Karen Wheeler had eight points for the Wolves.

Whitman, ranked No. 24 nationally this week in a pair of NCAA Div. III polls, faces a tough challenge this weekend as it wraps up its non-conference schedule against a pair of NAIA schools.

The Missionaries play Eastern Oregon at 5:30 p.m. Friday in La Grande and then host College of Idaho at 6 p.m. Saturday. Eastern Oregon is off to a 5-2 start, while College of Idaho is 10-1 and ranked No. 17 in the most recent NAIA national poll.

Box Score 

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