WALLA WALLA, Wash.  Linfield possessions tended to end one of two ways against the 16th-ranked Whitman women's basketball team at Sherwood Center on Friday: early or poorly.

Often both.

The Blues forced 30 turnovers and allowed just two made field goals in the second half in dismantling the visiting Wildcats, 74-37, in a Northwest Conference game. It was a 40-minute demonstration of how and why Whitman is one of the best defensive teams in the country; only 18 teams in Division III -- out of 434 -- are allowing fewer points per game than the Blues.

Whitman allowed single-digit scoring in three of four quarters. The outlier – Linfield's 22-point second period – prompted spirited halftime remarks by Blues head coach Michelle Ferenz to her team.

"In the second quarter, we just…let down," Ferenz said. "We showed some holiday rust. It was a good lesson. I challenged them to be better in the second half."

The Blues proceeded to allow just nine points after halftime.

"We stepped up our defensive intensity in the second half," said Whitman junior point guard Casey Poe, who had 10 points, five rebounds and a team-high four assists. "We stopped communicating a little bit in the second quarter. That's why we lagged behind.

"We always have a half where we play really well," she added. "We decided to come out strong after (the second quarter). It just clicked. If the starters lead with our intensity, it sets the tone for the group."

Whitman (12-0, 3-0 in NW) allowed just 12 baskets, holding the Wildcats (6-6, 0-3) to 24 percent shooting from the floor. It hammered the visitors 50-34 on the glass. Almost every wolf in the pack joined the defensive lunch, as 11 different players had at least one steal.

Emily Rommel had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Chelsi Brewer added 13 points and three steals. Maegen Martin had eight of her 10 points off the bench in the first half to go with five rebounds and two steals. Mady Burdett snatched a team-high four steals in 24 minutes off the bench. Sierra McGarity had six rebounds and three steals. Alysse Ketner added eight points and two steals.

The first quarter was its own mini-valentine to the art of defense – or a horror film, depending on your loyalties. In extending a 24-6 into the early minutes of the second period, Whitman blocked as many shots (two) as Linfield made. The Blues had four steals (Brewer swiped two) and forced six turnovers in the first 10 minutes.

But Whitman's outside shooting was askew, and a 1-for-10 clip from behind the 3-point line kept the game from turning into a blowout. Brewer's 3-pointer with 1:18 left in the half was her team's only make from deep. It restored a 37-24 lead after Linfield had cut its deficit to eight points several times earlier in the quarter, taking advantage of some slow defensive rotations in the paint.

"The second wasn't a great quarter, but our response was good," Ferenz said. "Our veterans did a good job of starting the game and starting the second half."

Whitman hosts Pacific at 4 p.m. on Saturday.