WALLA WALLA, Wash. – A game of wild momentum swings and runs ended with the visiting Loggers from the University of Puget Sound outlasting 21st-ranked Whitman College, 68-60, in Northwest Conference women's basketball action Friday night at Sherwood Athletics Center. The game only saw five lead changes with three of those coming courtesy of lengthy scoring runs by one team or the other.

The loss slips Whitman (12-3, 5-2 NWC) into a tie with Puget Sound (10-6, 5-2) in the league standings.

The Whitties knocked down the opening three points of the game but the Loggers responded with the first notable run of the evening, a 12-0 streak that opened a nine point lead halfway through the first quarter.

Puget Sound maintained its advantage through the remaining minutes but the end of the quarter teased Whitman fans with the beginning of what would be a turnaround run through the early minutes of the second.

Trailing 23-16 the home team scored the final basket of the first quarter on a jumper from Alysse Ketner. That bucket would ignite the Whitties as they poured in 12 more points before Puget Sound would find the inside of the cylinder.

In that 14-0 run Whitman would pick up a 3-pointer from Kathleen Cook to pull within two points, and a trey from Chelsi Brewer that lifted her team to its first lead since that early 3-0 spurt that began the game.

By the time halftime rolled around the momentum was clearly rolling downhill toward the UPS basket for Whitman as it went into the break with a 32-27 advantage, holding the Loggers to just four points in the second 10-minute frame.

Things didn't change much as the third quarter commenced with the Whitties expanding their advantage to nine, 42-33 on a Hailey McDonald layup with under four minutes to play in the quarter.

Unfortunately the Whitman momentum came to a screeching halt. The next 10 minutes of action, at the end of the third and then into the fourth quarter, saw the Loggers turn that nine-point deficit into a nine-point advantage, out scoring Whitman 24-6 during that time frame.

Nationally-ranked teams don't give in easily, and Whitman scratched and clawed its way back to within one point, 59-58, on a Casey Poe layup with 2:17 on the clock.

Those would the last points Whitman would score, though, until a Sierra McGarity jumper with 13 seconds remaining, providing the game with its final eight-point margin.

Recording her third double-double in the past four games, and second in a row, Hailey Ann Maeda helped Whitman at both ends of the court scoring 10 points and racking up 11 rebounds, eight in the defensive end of the court. McDonald posted a team-high 13 points for Whitman while McGarity added 10.

Puget Sound was paced by Emily Sheldon and Samone Jackson who scored 21 points each in the win. The pair traded halves leading the Loggers as 16 of Jackson's points came in the first half and Sheldon took over in the second with 18 points.

Whitman battled foul trouble in the second half with both Ketner and Poe fouling out. The final totals saw Whitman accrue 20 fouls against just 10 all game against the Loggers.

Saturday brings a new day and a new conference opponent to Sherwood with Pacific Lutheran University coming to Walla Walla for a 4 p.m. match-up.