WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- In thumping Marian University 103-71 on Monday at Sherwood Athletic Center, the Whitman men's basketball team did something the program hadn't accomplished in over two years.
But the Missionaries, who beat Wells College 120-61 on Sunday to preface the program's first consecutive 100-point scoring outputs since November of 2012, are focused clearly on the immediate future.
Northwest Conference play is next, after all.
"Part of me," said junior Jackson Clough, who led all scorers with 20 points, "wishes we could play tomorrow."
Instead, Whitman (6-3) will wait until the new year, when it opens NWC play with a trio of road games: against Lewis and Clark on Jan. 2 in Portland, at Willamette Jan. 3 and against Whitworth in Spokane on Jan. 6.
If Monday's performance -- a showcase for energy, tenacity and cohesion in the second game of a conference-simulating back-to-back set -- is any indication, the Missionaries are ready.
"This team has the best internal leadership we've every had," Whitman head coach Eric Bridgeland said. "They've just bought in and are playing really hard. I'm very proud of where we're at."
Against the Sabres, an NCAA tournament qualifier last season, Whitman dictated tempo.
"One of our game goals was, how are we going to play -- a half-court game or a full-court game," Bridgeland said. "The guys imposed our style of play. To have the depth to do that... I'm very proud. This was a great Christmas present -- that they earned."
Clough led a balanced scoresheet for the Missionaries, who shot 58.7 percent (37-of-63) from the floor and 54.2 percent (13-of-24) from the 3-point line, dished 20 assists and forced 24 turnovers. Four other Whitman players scored in double figures one night after seven players did so.
Christian McDonald came off the bench to score 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting and dished six assists. Matt Mounier hit 7 of 12 shots to score 17 points and had three of Whitman's 15 steals, tying Philip Chircu (10 points on 4-of-5 shooting) for team-high thievery honors. Evan Martin added 15 points and five rebounds.
For Bridgeland, the enduring highlight came inside the final 14 seconds, when Clough raced down the court to knock a pass away for a steal.
"They were a tough team. They played really, really hard," Clough said of Marian (6-4). "We hit 'em first. We put two halves together."
Clough's free throws at the 2:29 mark of the second half accounted for points 99 and 100. Whitman last scored 100-plus points in consecutive games in the 2012-13 season, beating Pacifica University 121-85 on Nov. 19, 2012 and Bethesda 114-68 two nights later.
The Missionaries have now eclipsed the 100-point barrier in three of their last four games, and four times times this season.
Whitman built its first-half lead by accelerating game tempo with full-court, full-time pressure. Marian often found itself rushing to beat the shot clock following its labored press-breaking, while the Missionaries fed offensively at diverse troughs.
Whitman hit 6 of 11 first-half 3-pointers and had 11 points off of 12 Sabres turnovers.
A 3-pointer by Rolaun Dunham, a Jojo Wiggins basket set up by a Chircu steal, a Chircu transition layin and 3-pointer by Dominic Lippi accounted for a 10-0 run that stretched the hosts' lead to 30-15 just inside the 10-minute mark.
Martin's dunk along the baseline, after the 6-foot-6 junior received a pass while posted on the low block and spun left to attack the rim, was the highlight in a subsequent 10-2 run that gave Whitman its largest lead, 40-19, of the half.
The advantage swelled to as many as 26 points in the second half. A driving basket by Mounier with 15:10 left in the game put Whitman ahead by 21; the lead would not dip below 20 points for the duration.
"(Marian) showed a bunch of stuff we'll see in conference," said Clough. "There are still things we need to get better at. (Conference play) is definitely something these two games simulated. It's tough -- especially for freshmen, especially mentally -- to put back-to-back games together."
Even though Whitman made it look easy as it glided into the holidays.
