WALLA WALLA, Wash.  Whitman took one of the toughest nonconference gauntlets in Division III and turned it into a bullet-proof tournament resume, its final addition to an impeccable at-large portfolio coming in grind-it-out style on the last day of an historic calendar year for the program.

Jack Stewart's 23 points paced five Blues in double-figure scoring, Whitman made 19 3-pointers and Tim Howell helped repel a late surge by Buena Vista University for a 103-90 victory in the finale of the Comfort Inn Classic at Sherwood Center on Saturday.

The second-ranked Blues improved to 11-0, including a 9-0 sweep of nonconference opponents assembled to challenge them at a national tournament level -- a sort of real-time homage to a 2015-16 campaign that saw Whitman advance to the NCAA round of 16. Only Northwest Conference games remain in the new year.

"We feel great about where we are," said Blues sophomore forward Cedric Jacobs-Jones, who had 17 points and nine rebounds. "We had one of the toughest schedules in the nation. We've approached every game like it's the NCAA championship."

Buena Vista proved one of Whitman's prickliest intersectional foils, refusing to go away despite trailing by 20 points at halftime and by 23 with just over nine minutes left to play. A 17-3 run ate up most of that lead and was one of two instances inside the final five minutes that the Beavers gnawed Whitman's lead to single digits.

But Howell had eight of his 17 points down the stretch, and the Blues allowed just three made free throws in the final 3:23.

"It was a grind-it-out type game. I thought we played well as a team," said Stewart, who made 7 of 11 3-pointers and chipped in four steals, three assists and three rebounds. "We showed how well-rounded, versatile and deep we are as a team."

Jase Harrison was 3-for-3 on 3-point shots, scored 11 points and dished three assists. Christian McDonald added 11 points on 3-of-5 3-point shooting and swiped four steals. Joey Hewitt had 10 points and six rebounds, and Austin Butler had a fine all-around floor game with eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocked shots.

Whitman opened the game by making six of its first seven 3-pointers. It led 31-17 when Butler finished in transition off a nifty no-look feed from McDonald, and 47-25 following a 13-0 run to the 1:41 mark of the first half.

Buena Vista, which has had winning seasons in 18 of head coach Brian Van Haaften's 19 seasons at the helm, headed into the break with a glimmer of hope when Connor Winkelman swished a 3-pointer from midcourt at the horn. Kennedy Drey (22 points, 17 rebounds) was a force inside and Thomas Wisecup (20 points) potent on the perimeter in helping the Beavers get back into the game late.

The Blues out-rebounded Buena Vista 46-39, forced 19 turnovers and had assists on 21 of their 32 baskets.

"We like to grind wins out," Jacobs-Jones said. "You learn from these kinds of games."

Whitman continues a six-game homestand with NWC contests against Linfield at 8 p.m. Friday and Pacific University at 6 p.m. Saturday.