WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Rebecca Sexton and Hilary White combined for 22 points and 18 rebounds as 24th-ranked Whitman College mauled Willamette University 61-34 Saturday afternoon in Salem, Ore.

Rebecca Sexton

Whitman, which never trailed in the game, improved to 3-1 in the Northwest Conference and 11-2 on the season. Willamette slipped to 0-4 and 1-9.

Sexton, who entered Saturday's action shooting 58.8 percent from the floor for the season, made seven of 11 shots to finish with a game-high 14 points. The 6-foot-3 sophomore center also snared six rebounds as the Missionaries outboarded the Bearcats 44-39.

White did most of Whitman's heavy lifting on the backboards, pulling down 12 rebounds while adding eight points, four assists and four steals.

Michelle Krall added seven points and five rebounds while Jenele Peterson contributed six points and five assists. Jennifer Keyes with eight points and Ellen Vertatschitsch with six did all of their scoring in the first half as Whitman bolted to a 33-19 halftime lead. The Missionaries opened the second half on a 13-3 run and the outcome was never in doubt after that.

With 11 players making the scoring column, Whitman shot 42.6 percent from the floor while holding the Bearcats to 20.4 percent shooting night. The Missionaries scored 22 points off 23 Willamette turnovers, and Whitman's bench kicked in a total of 20 points.

The game marked the second time this season that Whitman has held an opponent to fewer than 40 points. The Missionaries downed Oberlin College 75-36 in the first week of the non-conference season.

Whitman opened the game with buckets from Sexton and Vertatschitsch in the first 40 seconds of play to take a 4-0 lead. Willamette forged two early ties, but Vertatschitsch scored again with 12 minutes left in the half to put the Missionaries up for good at 10-8. Keyes followed with one of her two 3-pointers and Whitman began pulling away.  

Whitman returns home next weekend to host Pacific Lutheran on Friday and Puget Sound on Sunday. Both games start at 6 p.m. in Sherwood Center.

Box Score 

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