WALLA WALLA, Wash. Whitman's players were reminded just how stubborn their coaching staff can be when it comes to getting the highest quality -- meaning point-blank -- shots.
Whitworth players were reminded that their rivals are equally stubborn when it comes to defending their home court.

The host Blues finally clicked on offense to start the third quarter, opening a lead their defense easily protected en route to a 61-50 victory in Northwest Conference women's basketball Tuesday at the Sherwood Center. Whitman post Emily Rommel had 15 of her team's 30 points in the paint as the 25th-ranked Blues improved to 7-0 overall and 2-0 in conference.

"We made a deliberate effort to get good ball reversal, move the ball and not get stagnant," Whitman head coach Michelle Ferenz said. "Sometimes, we get a little impatient."

Whitman was stubborn and persistent in its efforts to pound the ball inside, but its post-entry from the wing -- especially on lobs -- was erratic in the first two quarters. That accounted for the bulk of its seven first-half turnovers. When the Blues did connect with their bigs, the results were usually good; Rommel (team-high seven points in the first half), Lily Gustafson and Maegen Martin combined to shoot 5 for 9 in the paint.

Despite its offensive struggles, Whitman led for all but the first 17 seconds of the second quarter, thanks to its defense. Whitman hammered the Pirates 21-11 on the boards in the first half. The Blues also held Whitworth scoreless for the first five minutes of the second, forcing five of the Pirates' 10 turnovers during that span. A 3-pointer by Mady Burdett sparked a 10-4 Whitman run inside the final five minutes; when Whitworth's Madison Moffat muscled past Poe for the half's final basket with 10 seconds left, it marked the visitors' first field goal since the 4:36 mark.

Whitman immediately built on its 28-22 halftime lead with its most fluid offensive sequence of the game in the opening moments of the third quarter. The Blues forced a shot clock violation on Whitworth's first possession of the second half, helped by Casey Poe's blocked shot, then scored on their next three possessions. Each basket was an easy layin by a player catching a pass in stride at the rim: Rommel converted a nifty, left-handed bounce pass from Chelsi Brewer, then cashed in a luscious lob from Poe over a fronting defender. Rommel then swapped roles and fed Sierra McGarity for an easy bucket.

That pushed Whitman's lead into double-digits, a cushion it would not relinquish. That owed less to relentlessly efficient offense than stingy defense.

"We'll grow offensively," said Ferenz. "We're rotating in some young kids, and there are so many little things that are still kind of escaping them. Defensively, we're playing well."

Callie Harwood, the conference's fourth-leading scorer, had 18 points and Grace Douglas 12 for the visitors. But they could not overcome Whitman's balance. Brewer had 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, five assists and two steals. Martin was 3 for 4 from the floor, working inside, and added 10 points. Poe had five assists, Alysse Ketner seven points and four boards, and Mady Burdett added three steals and a blocked shot.

First-year Makana Stone also contributed 17 high-quality minutes off the bench, supplying active defense in the paint and snatching five rebounds.

"We've got some kids we need to get in there. We need to grow our depth," Ferenz said. "There's some real parity in our conference. We're going to be a work-in-progress."

An undefeated one, so far.