Box Score
By Roy Elia

WALLA WALLA - The No. 2 nationally-ranked and Northwest Conference-leading Whitman women followed up their monster triumph over seventh-ranked George Fox on Friday night by clinching a tie for the league title Saturday night on George Ball Court at Sherwood Center.
Sarah Anderegg scored 20 points and Meghan White added 14 to lead the Missionaries to an 80-53 Senior Night victory over Linfield.
 
Saturday's contest was the last regular-season home contest for Whitman seniors Tiffani Traver, Marah Alindogan, White and Anderegg.
 
"It's a great group of seniors," Whitman coach Michelle Ferenz said of the group that has helped the Missionary program fashion a 46-6 record over the last two seasons. "They have worked so hard. They are four young women who have embraced their opportunity and deserve credit for our success."
 
The Missionaries advanced to 14-0 in the NWC and 23-0 overall after registering their sixth home-and-home sweep over a conference opponent this season.
 
The visiting Wildcats slipped to 3-10 in league and 7-15 overall.
 
Whitman jumped out to a 19-8 lead with eight-and-a-half minutes gone in the opening half. Johns, the conference's leading scorer (19.8 avg.), set the tone with seven points on three baskets - a three-point bomb from the left wing just 13 seconds after the opening tip, a back-door layin off an Anderegg assist at the 18:20 mark, and a layup off of a drive with 11:30 left.
 
White extended the lead to 12, 25-13, on a jumper with 8:12 on the clock.
 
Linfield sliced the margin in half over a stretch of one minute, 20 seconds. A jump shot by Katelyn Henson with 6:31 to go made it 25-19.
 
The Missionaries raised the spread to 13, 32-19, at the 3:12 mark after a 7-0 run. Alysse Ketner drained a trey from the right wing, Johns followed a miss, and Hailey Ann Maeda drilled a jumper.
 
Whitman built the advantage to 15, 36-21, on a transition basket by Hailey Mcdonald off a back-court assist from Alindogan with 2:09 remaining.
 
Alindogan ended the first-half scoring with a right-corner three just 16 seconds before intermission to send the Missionaries into the break with a 39-25 lead.
 
The Missionaries opened the second half with a 16-4 run that resulted in a 26-point bulge, 55-29. Traver, No. 4 in the conference in three-point efficiency (41.1 pct.), buried a pair of triples during the spurt and Anderegg finished it with a layin at the 14:23 mark.
 
Whitman spent the rest of the second half expanding the lead and twice led by as much as 31 points - on an Anderegg three-point play with 3:42 remaining that made it 76-45 and 78-47 on a White jumper with 3:02 to go.

Saturday's win also guaranteed a first-round home game in the Northwest Conference tournament for the Missionaries.
 
Whitman travels to Whitworth on Tuesday for a conference counter at 6 p.m. as the quest for undefeated conference and overall marks continues.
 
"It hasn't happened very often - where a team has run the table (in league)," said Ferenz. "These kids find ways to win. This team likes big games."