TACOMA, Wash.  Few teams in the Northwest Conference have the moxie to erase a 17-point fourth quarter deficit against the least hospitable host in the conference.

Unfortunately for Whitman, pulling off that near-impossible feat here Friday left no fuel for overtime.

Sixth-ranked University of Puget Sound dominated overtime to clinch the conference championship with an 89-82 victory over the Blues, who were looking to become the first team to win on the Loggers' home floor in 12 tries this season.

UPS outscored 15th-ranked Whitman 9-2 in overtime to lock up the top seed in the NWC conference tournament. The first meeting between these schools also required more than the allotted 40 minutes to settle differences. UPS (21-1, 13-0 in NWC) nipped the Blues 73-71 in overtime on Jan. 14 in Walla Walla, handing Whitman (19-3, 10-3) its first loss of the season.

On Friday, the Blues forced overtime by storming back from a 71-54 deficit after three quarters. Casey Poe's clutch free throws with 13 seconds left in regulation tied the game 80-80 and capped a fourth quarter that saw the never-say-die Blues outscore their hosts 26-9.

When Makana Stone scored in the paint with 2:37 left in overtime, Whitman led 82-81 -- its first lead since late in the second quarter. But Jamie Lange scored inside while drawing a foul to reclaim the lead for the Loggers, and made it a four-point trip when she made a layin after UPS rebounded her free throw miss to retain possession.

The Blues would not score again.

Stone had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Whitman, which still controls the No. 2 seed to the conference tournament. Casey Poe flirted with a triple-double, logging 13 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Chelsi Brewer and Mady Burdett added 13 points apiece, Emily Rommel scored 11 points and snagged eight boards, and Alysse Ketner notched 10 points.

There were 13 lead changes and nine ties in an impossibly taut first half, the last deadlock coming when Lillian Olson scored on a put-back for the Loggers to knot it at 41-all with 18 seconds left in the second quarter. The largest lead of the half for either team was four points.

Whitman's intentions -- to pound the ball inside -- were clear from the jump. The Blues sought to establish Ketner in the post early; she scored eight of Whitman's first 12 points, all in the paint.

Of the Blues' 15 made first-half field goals, 14 came inside the key. Brewer's 3-pointer midway through the second quarter was the only Whitman make from outside.

Ketner (10 points, 4-of-8 shooting), Stone (eight points, 4 of 6) and Rommel (seven points, 3 of 4, four rebounds) were very efficient over the first two quarters. While Whitman attempted just four 3-pointers, UPS hoisted 14.

The Blues trailed by five points with one minute left in the game when Brewer drilled a 3-pointer. UPS missed two free throws on the other end to set up Poe's tying makes from the charity stripe.

Whitman visits Pacific Lutheran at 3 p.m. Saturday.