WALLA WALLA, Wash.  Top-ranked Whitman went from a close call to a roll call in its triumphant return to the friendly rims and familiar fandom of Sherwood Athletic Center, rekindling its Northwest Conference title defense in well-rounded fashion here Friday.

Seven different Blues players reached double figures in scoring in a 116-86 victory over a dangerous Pacific (Ore.) University squad that arrived in Walla Walla tied with Whitman and Whitworth for first place in the NWC. The Blues (12-0, 3-0 in NWC) got at least six points from nine different players, shot 53.9 percent from the floor, dished 25 assists, forced 31 turnovers and had 19 steals in enjoying a double-digit lead for the last 27 minutes of the game.

"It's nice to be home," Whitman head coach Eric Bridgeland said.

The Blues were playing at Sherwood for the first time since Dec. 8, back from a five-game road trip that culminated in a 92-90 victory over Ohio Wesleyan on Dec. 30 in Las Vegas. Whitman overcame a 15-point deficit over the final 11 minutes in that game against the now-ninth ranked Battling Bishops. The road trip also included Whitman's two lowest-scoring games of the season.

"The road has been tough," said Bridgeland. "Offensively, we were chomping at the bit to play an up-tempo game at home."

Whitman mangled the bit on Friday. It hit four of its first five 3-point attempts and steadily built to a 56-42 halftime lead. The cushion swelled to 25 points several times midway through the second half. The Blues scored the final nine points of the game, the final basket coming when first-year Bryce Mulder, a 7-footer with a point guard's handle, squared up at the free throw line and spun past a defender on the dribble for a soft-kiss layup off the window.

Whitman's 116 points represented its third-highest scoring output of the season and marked the eighth time the Blues have eclipsed the 100-point plateau in a game this year.

Joey Hewitt had 19 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals for the winners. Darné Duckett came off the bench for 16 points, six assists, six rebounds and three steals. Tim Howell had 13 points and three assists. Austin Butler had 11 points, nine assists, six rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots. Jack Stewart made his first three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points and two steals. Jaron Kirkley had 11 points, four rebounds and three steals off the bench. Cedric Jacobs-Jones added 10 points and six rebounds coming off the pine.

"Darné was really good. Jaron played really well. Tim played really good," said Bridgeland. "Cedric is so selfless. Whatever we need, Ced gives us. It was a great offensive game."

Brevin Brown paced four Boxers in double figures with 15 points as Pacific (8-4, 2-1) suffered its fourth consecutive loss.

"Give Pacific credit. They made our defense look like swiss cheese at times," Bridgeland said. "I have a lot of respect for the job (head coach) Jerod (Gibson) is doing."

Robert Colton added nine points and five rebounds for Whitman, which hosts Lewis and Clark (4-7, 0-2), a 98-91 loser to Whitworth on Friday in Spokane, at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Notes: Howell eclipsed 1,500 career points in Whitman's 92-90 victory over Ohio Wesleyan on Dec. 30 in Las Vegas. The senior guard's basket with 2:21 left in the game gave the Blues an 89-88 lead, and were points 1,500 and 1,501 in Howell's career. He entered Friday's game with 1,503 career points … Whitman avoided the in-conference upset epidemic which swept through the upper echelon of the d3hoops.com Top 25 this week. Second-ranked Augustana, third-ranked Wis.-River Falls, No. 6 Lycoming and seventh-ranked Wis.-Oshkosh each lost to conference foes on Wednesday. River Falls lost at home by 25 points to Wis.-Stevens Point, a team the Blues defeated 77-64 on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas … The next time Whitman plays an out-of-conference opponent would be in the national tournament. The Blues went 8-0 against nonconference Division III foes this season. By way of recap -- listed by record entering Friday night, best-to-worst -- those opponents were: Ohio Wesleyan (10-2), Occidental (8-2), Wis-Stevens Point (7-5), Waynesburg (7-6, six-game winning streak), Colorado College (5-6), Redlands (3-8), Gallaudet (2-9), La Verne (0-10).