Box Score

By Ben Zimmerman

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Opponents have tested Whitman's patience, its execution, its footwork, its skill, its shooting.

None had tested the Missionaries toughness like George Fox did Friday in a quarry rumble between nationally-ranked Northwest Conference rivals.

Whitman passed that test, too. The second-ranked Missionaries played suffocating defense over the final three decisive minutes to turn away seventh-ranked George Fox 51-46 and remain undefeated.

Whitman clinched a berth in the conference tournament and cleared the most significant remaining hurdle between it and a regular-season conference championship, a trinket which has eluded the Missionaries since the 2003-04 season.

"It feels good," said Missionaries senior center Sarah Anderegg. "It's a great Valentine's Day present."

Whitman (22-0, 12-0 in league) opened a two-game lead over George Fox (19-2, 10-2) and Whitworth for second place in the conference with three games remaining.

The win Friday was "a grinder," Missionaries head coach Michelle Ferenz said, and it was the visiting Bruins --- long, quick, physical -- who made it that way. Whitman struggled mightily against George Fox's full-court pressure and was a faint shadow of itself in terms of halfcourt execution.

But Whitman found a way to overcome uncharacteristic sloppiness with the ball (24 turnovers) and shakiness from the floor (15-of-45 shooting 33%).

"We've learned what it takes to finish close games," said Anderegg, who had 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. "We may not have had that composure last season. We had the defensive discipline to finish tonight. We sat down, got in passing lanes and held our ground."

With gusto.

George Fox had carved a once-comfortable Whitman lead to 45-43 on a basket by Megan Arnoldy with 2:58 left in the game. The Bruins were on an 8-2 run and the Missionaries hadn't made a basket since Hailey Ann Maeda's soft jumper swished through with 5:26 to go -- and wouldn't score again until 52 ticks remained on the clock.

But they still managed to swing momentum by digging in and shutting George Fox down. The visitors' next three possessions ended in an Anderegg block, Anderegg steal and Hailey Mcdonald steal, the latter theft leading to a fast-break basket by Tiffani Traver that had the near-capacity crowd in Sherwood Center roaring.

Another Mcdonald steal -- the sophomore guard leaping into a passing lane from the top of the key -- led to an Anderegg free throw. And after yet another stop on defense, Whitman got two free throws from Heather Johns for a 50-43 lead with 24 seconds left.

In that span, George Fox came up empty on seven consecutive possessions.

"We did a great job of reading their sets and staying organized with our help," Ferenz said. "We really made the right reads, defensively. The kids did a great job of adjusting."

The first half had the tempo and texture of a rock fight, Whitman crawling into the break with a 22-19 advantage after holding GF to 7-of-25 shooting. The Missionaries made a pair of second-half runs, stretching to leads of 32-23 and 43-36, only to watch the Bruins explode to life.

"Their pressure allowed them to get hands on a lot of balls we weren't expecting," Anderegg said. "We weren't patient. We were rushing.

"Once we calmed down, we realized that we could take our time. But I was stressed. This was two of the top teams in the country. Every possession counts."

Traver led all scorers with 15 points and hit 4 of 8 3-pointers for Whitman. Johns added 12 points and five assists.

The Missionaries host Linfield Saturday before closing the regular season with games at Whitworth Tuesday and at Lewis and Clark on Feb. 22.

"We clinched the playoffs, so we know that next Saturday isn't my last game," said Anderegg. "I hope we keep winning, so these aren't our last home games."

"Who knows. Maybe we'll see (George Fox) again," added Ferenz.

Fans can only hope.