SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitman College's big fourth quarter finally pushed the Whitties past host Whitworth University Tuesday evening in Northwest Conference women's basketball action, as visiting Whitman scratched out a 55-52 victory by out scoring the Pirates by seven points in the final 10-minute frame.

The win by Whitman, which received votes in the latest D3hoops.com national Division III poll, lifts its overall record to 10-1 while keeping the Whitties unbeaten in league play at 3-0. Whitworth drops to 7-5 and 2-1, respectively.

Though necessarily classified as a come-from-behind victory, the truth is that neither team had a clear advantage over most of the 40 minutes of action. The Pirates never trailed within the opening two quarters but their largest lead was a four-point advantage late in the first quarter, a 10-minute stretch that saw both teams struggle offensively, and then three more times in during the second. A late 3-pointer from Alysse Ketner -- the only bucket by either team from beyond the arc -- cut into that last four-point lead and enabled Whitman to head into the halftime break trailing by just one, 20-19.

The fun really started after the break.

Over the final 20 minutes there were six ties and five lead changes, four each in the third quarter alone.

Whitman opened the third with an 11-5 to push in front for the first time in the game, but a 14-5 finish the quarter by Whitworth wrested the lead right back for the home team.

Trailing by four, 39-35, to start the final stanza Whitman got itself off on the right foot with a jumper and one from Emily Rommel to cut the margin to just one.

After a pair of Pirate free throws Ketner knocked down another three to draw her Whitties even at 41-41. Faith Emerson answered with a layup for Whitworth but Casey Poe drove the lane on Whitman's next possession, made the layup despite being fouled, then dropped in the free throw to push Whitman in front, 44-43, on what would be the final lead change of the affair.

Whitman built its lead to six on a Chelsi Brewer trey from the top left wing, only to see the Pirates battle back to within two with 1:39 to play.

A Rommel layup added cushion to the Whitman advantage and then successful free throws down the stretch from Ketner, Hailey McDonald and Brewer iced the outcome for the visitors.

The Whitworth points total equaled Whitman's league-leading scoring defense which is also 38th best in the nation at 52.8 points allowed per outing. And with 13 assists to 11 turnovers the Whitties bettered their league-best assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.05, a mark that is 31st in the country.

Both teams, though they warmed up in the second half, finished the contest with below average nights in shooting, Whitman closing at 31 percent with Whitworth at 30 percent.

Ketner, with 13 points, Rommel (12) and Hailey Ann Maeda (10) led Whitman in its offensive end while Maeda pulled down eight rebounds to lead her team and finish tied with Whitworth's KC McConnell for game-high honors.

McConnell and Emerson paced the Pirates in the loss, each scoring 14 points while combining for 15 of their team's 43 rebounds.

Whitman continues conference play Saturday with a trip to Forest Grove, Oregon, where it will take on host Pacific University in a 4 p.m. clash.