WALLA WALLA, Wash – Heather Johns' game-high 24 points led five Whitman College players into double figures during Friday evening's dominant 90-56 victory over visiting Pacific Lutheran University in Northwest Conference women's basketball action at the Sherwood Athletic Center. Heather Lovelace, Chelsi Brewer, Hallie Buse and Hailey Ann Maeda joined Johns, who also accumulated eight assists, in crossing into double digits for the Missionaries.

The victory pushes Whitman's conference mark to 5-2 and its overall record to 10-6 while the Lutes fall to 1-5 and 4-11, respectively.

Both teams shook off some rust during the opening minutes as the first basket of the game didn't find net until more than two minutes of action. Maeda ripped the ball from a tied up Lacey Nicholson during a double-team ten feet inside half court and along the sideline. Maeda streaked down court and dropped in an easy layup from the right to push Whitman ahead 2-0.

The Lutes answered with a layup on their possession but a Maeda eight-footer out in front allowed the M's to inch back in front. Nicholson tied it with a jumper but, again, Maeda popped a short jumper for a 6-4 lead. This time Pac Lutheran's Jori Hall answered to tie the score at 6-6 but that would the be final rallying point of the evening for the Lutes as Whitman sprinted to a double-digit lead behind a 10-0 run over the following 3 minutes, 45 seconds.

All 10 points of the spurt came from Lovelace, with six, and Johns.

The Whitman advantage remained in double digits for all but 50 seconds the rest of the way with the Missionaries taking a 35-25 edge into the halftime break, then scoring the initial eight points of the second half before reaching a 20-point lead in less than four minutes of the final stanza. By the time the 12-minute mark rolled around the Whitties had doubled up the Lutes, 61-30.

Lovelace and Brewer finished the evening with 12 points, while Buse and Maeda added 10 apiece. Maeda also pulled down a game-best seven rebounds, helping Whitman to a 39-31 advantage on the glass.

Despite the scoring output -- in addition to the five in double figures, six more players scored at least two points -- the tone setter of the night was Whitman's defense which caused 21 turnovers and came away with 15 steals resulting in 26 points for the M's. And while the Lutes did come down with 31 boards, only nine came in their offensive end which allowed the Whits to limit the visitors to just two second-chance points.,

The weekend brings the 21st-ranked Loggers from the University of Puget Sound to Walla Walla for a 4 p.m. match-up Saturday at Sherwood.