WALLA WALLA, Wash. In a game during which it never trailed, Whitman's women's basketball team was forced to fight off a late surge from visiting Eastern Oregon University, and the Blues were able to hang on for a 55-53 non-conference victory in their season opener Wednesday evening at the Sherwood Athletics Center.
The Mountaineers (4-1) whittled down a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes, closing to within a point at 54-53. But
Casey Poe converted the front end of a pair of free throws to extend the margin to two, and then the Blues withstood a pair of shots in the waning seconds to hold on for the victory.
Whitman began the game with a pair of misses but each time a Blues player would come away with the rebound, allowing a 3-pointer by
Alysse Ketner from the top, left to finally open the scoring.
Eastern would pull even at 4-4, the first of only two tie scores on the night, but
Chelsi Brewer drained one of her two treys in the contest to lift Whitman out of the early deadlock.
By the end of the first 10-minute quarter the Blues had opened up a six-point edge, 21-15, behind 45 percent shooting from the floor, compared to a 5-for-15 (33 percent) quarter by the Mountaineers.
Those first 10 minutes ended up as the night's highest scoring quarter as both teams struggled offensively due, in part, to some hearty defense each team put out on the floor.
By halftime the Whitman advantage had grown to nine, 34-25, but Eastern began to claw its way back into the contest with a 3-pointer from Darian Gasseling to begin the third quarter.
Midway through the third Stormee Van Belle dropped in a pair of free throws to draw the 'Neers even for just the second time in the game, at 36-36, but that became just another opportune time for Brewer to drain the second of her threes, again breaking a tie score and this time providing a lead that, though challenged, would never disappear.
Brewer and
Makana Stone led Whitman with 10 points apiece, while Poe came away with a game-high 14 rebounds, though the Blues as a team were behind in that category overall, 59-47.
Gasseling led Eastern with 16 points and got help in the offensive end from May Ah You who chipped in with 10.
Whitman finished the night shooting 31 percent from the field, while Eastern ended at 25 percent. The big difference, however, was from inside the 3-point arc where the Blues racked up 12 more points than the long-range-minded Mountaineers, who only converted two more treys on the night than did Whitman.
Wednesday's win sends the Blues on the road for two weeks with momentum from a positive opener. Next up is the Whit Classic in Spokane, Washington, where Whitman will play UC Santa Cruz Friday night followed by another non-conference game Saturday, against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas).
