WALLA WALLA, Wash.  The import of Whitman's 111-77 victory over Pacific Lutheran University in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game at Sherwood Athletic Center on Saturday depends on perspective.

Up close, an eye for the granular reveals manifold enjoyments:

Jaron Kirkley's paint pirouettes … Robert Colton clapping shut a rebound like shark jaws do chum … Trevor Osborne's redefinition of the layup (noun 1. a field goal attempted from between 23 and 32 feet) … Joey Hewitt's airborne ambidexterity … Darné Duckett sewing analog defenders to the court with his digital handle … and so on.

At middle distance, the parts cohere. There lurks the casual menace of the Blues' multivalent press, and the ever-morphing, ever-synchronized rhythms of their fast break, and the chemistry and fraternity underwriting it all.

Zoom out to an altitude where the topography of a nearly 100-year-old conference comes into crisp relief. See that Walla Walla has been visited, in succession, by the greatest season in NWC men's basketball history (last year) and is in the thrall of the conference's longest all-time regular-season winning streak (as of Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at approximately 8 p.m.).

"I feel like that's an unbelievable accomplishment," Whitman head coach Eric Bridgeland said. "The group we have here is capable of building on it, because they are so focused on the process. It's all theirs."

Joey Hewitt had 25 points, and Jack Stewart and Cedric Jacobs-Jones 16 apiece in Saturday's wire-to-wire rout, which recorded Whitman's 34th consecutive regular-season conference victory and surpassed the longest previous streak of 33, by Whitworth, from 2008-2011.

"I wasn't aware of that," said Stewart, who was 5 for 5 from the floor, 4 for 4 from the free throw line and had a team-high six of the Blues' 23 steals. "We focus on one game at a time. On to the next one. We have bigger goals."

Every player in uniform scored for Whitman (19-0, 10-0 in NWC), which led by 15 points before PLU (4-14, 1-8) scored. Ten different players were on the court for at least 13 minutes apiece, an egalitarian tribute to what made the Blues' historic streak possible.

"This is about being a family," said Jacobs-Jones. "It was great being back at home, in front of our great crowd. With all our fans, it feels like there's nothing that can stop us."

A four-game road trip over the first two weeks of February awaits. It includes a trip to Spokane on the 6th, to face fourth-ranked Whitworth. The Blues' effort against the Tacoma schools this weekend charted an upward trajectory.

"We grew a lot from Friday night's game (against UPS)," said Bridgeland. "Our leadership was off the charts. Joey Hewitt's energy was huge. Jack Stewart was huge. Cedric just shows up whenever you need him, on the floor or off."

Whitman won the first half 62-35. It led 15-0 and had forced six turnovers before the Lutes scored, enjoying a double-digit lead for the last 17:42 of the half.

Hewitt's 3-pointer at the 2:11 mark gave the Blues' their largest lead of the opening half, 60-31.

Hewitt had 18 first-half points, hitting 6 of 8 shots -- including 4 of 5 3-pointers. Jacobs-Jones (11 points) and Stewart (10) each were 3 of 3 on 3-pointers; the Blues hit 8 of their first 11 from downtown and were 11 for 20 in the half.

Whitman had 16 steals as a team, with Stewart (five), Butler (four) and Darne Duckett (three) spearheading the thievery.

The Blues had 12 assists on 22 field goals and shot 56.4 percent from the floor before halftime.

Duckett finished with 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Ben Beatie added nine points and Jaron Kirkley eight. Butler added seven assists and four blocks. He has now swiped four steals or more in seven consecutive games.

Whitman plays Lewis and Clark at 8 p.m. on Feb. 2 in Portland.

Notes: Whitman won its final eight NWC games of the 2015-16 regular season, all 16 last season and the first 10 this year. Whitworth won 33 consecutive regular-season games between the '08-'09 and '10-'11 seasons.