NEWBERG, Ore.  There had to be moments when those with a mind for upset felt hope, and even the faintest tendrils of swagger, and that's where the Whitman ambush was waiting. In the last half of the last game of the season's last, laborious conference road trip, the top-ranked Blues turned a three-possession game into a blowout and clinched at least a tie for a back-to-back Northwest Conference title.

A flurry of 3-pointers sparked a 30-7 Whitman run in what settled into a 97-80 victory over George Fox here Saturday at the Wheeler Sports Complex. Six Blues scored in double-figures, led by Trevor Osborne's 19 points and Joey Hewitt's 18, and Whitman (23-0, 14-0 in NWC) clinched the top seed to -- and homecourt advantage throughout -- the looming NWC tournament with its 38th consecutive win in a regular-season conference game.

A loss on Saturday afternoon by third-ranked Wittenberg left the Blues the only undefeated men's basketball team in all NCAA classifications, and they headed home after their second road trip to the Portland area in as many weekends with that distinction intact.

Whitman, the defending NWC king, can win the conference title outright with a victory in either of its last two games in next weekend's homestand to close out the regular season.

"We go in (to the locker room), we do a quick recap of all the great things that happened, and we mention to the guys that we clinched back-to-back regular season titles," Whitman head coach Eric Bridgeland said. "There's one guy who is semi-clapping.

"They have bigger goals."

Austin Butler had 11 points, six rebounds, four assists, four blocked shots and two steals for the winners on Saturday, and Tim Howell, Jaron Kirkley and Cedric Jacobs-Jones chipped in 10 points apiece.

The Blues began the second half with a 10-point lead but saw it gnawed down to seven on three separate occasions, the last just inside the 14-minute mark. On consecutive possessions, Osborne, Kirkley and Hewitt ripped 3-pointers, rapidly opening a 72-56 lead.

Whitman scuffled briefly. Then it began swarming, defensively. From the 11:01 mark to the 4:46 mark, the Blues outscored the Bruins 21-4 to open a 93-63 lead. Hewitt and Butler had two steals apiece during what amounted to the knockout blow.

"We were able to rest some guys at certain periods of the game, whether it's Austin or Joey or whoever," said Bridgeland. "When they come back in, they are somewhat fresh and make plays with a little more wind in their sails."

The first half was a ragged valentine to Whitman's versatility, as the Blues overcame poor shooting in every phase to secure a 52-40 lead at the break. A 44-percent clip from the field, 33-percent rate from deep and 46-percent showing from the stripe didn't preclude Whitman seizing control with a 20-2 run. The Blues forced 12 turnovers and kept finding Osborne hovering alone outside the 3-point arc, where he did Osborne things.

The sophomore shooting guard checked into recess with 16 points on 5-of-9 3-point shooting. Osborne was responsible for lighting the fuse on Whitman's separating run; he buried a 3 while absorbing a foul and made the free throw to complete a four-point play, then made a 3-pointer to complete a personal 7-0 run at the start of the Blues' 20-2 burst.

"Trevor separated us in the first half. Our depth tonight really showed," said Bridgeland. "We needed every bit of it tonight. We were just tired. Those four road games in eight days in four different cities is no joke. It takes a toll.

"We were a bit sluggish, but the guys really bounced back. George Fox was ready to play."

A pair of three-point plays by Hewitt -- the second on a run-out and find by Darné Duckett -- helped grow the Whitman advantage to 37-24 with 5:47 left in the half.

When the Blues failed to force turnovers, they did not fail to contest shots. George Fox (6-17, 2-12) got just two bench points in the first half and made only 38.2 percent (13 for 34) of its shots.

Whitman out-rebounded the Bruins 55-42, paced by Hewitt (nine boards), Jacobs-Jones (seven) and Robert Colton (seven). Duckett and Kirkley had three assists apiece.

"Seven or eight ranked teams lost today," Bridgeland said. "Our guys' focus, even if they're a bit sluggish, allows them to turn things around. It's a real testament to their trust in each other and focus on taking it one game at a time."

The Blues host Willamette at 8 p.m. on Feb. 16 before closing out the regular season at home against Linfield at 6 p.m. on the 17th. Whitman will host an opponent to be determined in an NWC tournament semifinal on Feb. 22.