SPOKANE, Wash.  A 9-0 start to Tuesday evening's game eventually led to a 71-65 Northwest Conference victory for the 20th-ranked Whitman women's basketball team which earned the season sweep over host Whitworth University with the win. Makana Stone registered her first double-double for the Blues, who were led in the offensive end by Chelsi Brewer's 13 points.

Whitman climbs to 16-2 overall and 7-2 within the league while the Pirates slip to 7-11 and 3-6, respectively.

Stone finished the night with 10 points and 10 rebounds and it was her first basket, a layin, that opened the quick start for the Blues. A 3-pointer from Mady Burdett preceded a pair of free throws from Casey Poe to keep the string going, with an Emily Rommel layup putting the finishing touch on the run.

Though the lead never broke into double-digits during the quarter Whitman was able to roughly maintain that advantage as it close the frame with a 22-15 lead.

Stone opened the scoring in the second quarter, with another layup, and a Whitworth turnover became a jumper from Poe that finally lifted the Blues' edge into double-digits. By halftime the lead had become 14 (42-28) and Whitman seemed to have the game under control.

That idea didn't waiver during the third quarter as the 10-minute segment ended with the same lead for the Blues, at 56-42.

The fourth quarter brought along some new ideas, though.

Whitman led by 14, at 60-46, with 6:55 to play but moving forward from there the basket at the Pirates' end seem to get bigger while the Blues' bucket shrunk in size.

Whitworth out scored Whitman 19-11 over those final minutes -- trimming the deficit to three, 65-62, with 50 seconds remaining -- and gave up only two baskets from the floor during those final seven minutes.

Seven-of-10 from the free throw line in the last three minutes preserved the advantage for Whitman, however, and allowed the visitors to claim the win and a season sweep of the Pirates.

Stone's double-digit effort on the glass highlighted a solid night of rebounding for Whitman as it carved out a 43-35 edge there, and converted the 16 offensive rebounds into 11 second-chance points.

The Blues also came away with a sizable advantage in help off the bench as Maegen Martin (11 points), Sierra McGarity (8), Caitlin Mazzoleni (5) and Anissia Hughes (2) combined for 26 points, while the Whitworth bench was only able to contribute eight points.

The Pirates were paced by Madison Moffat's 24 points and eight rebounds, but her efforts alone weren't enough for the home team in the loss.

Whitman returns home for its next action, a conference game Saturday at the Sherwood Athletics Center against Willamette University.