WALLA WALLA, Wash.  Senior Night for Whitman men's basketball is about "honoring everyone who came before you," junior Cedric Jacobs-Jones said.

It is meant, said the Blues' only senior, Tim Howell, to acknowledge "all the work of past players who were trailblazers for the program."

Howell had just led all scorers with 22 points to help Whitman extend what is the most spectacular stretch of men's basketball in the history of the Northwest Conference with a 100-69 victory over Linfield in the conference finale for both teams. Then he'd joined his teammates on the court to cut down the net, visited with family, posed for countless photos.

The last photo, in the tunnel underneath the Sherwood Center, was with an elementary school student who had followed the team into the locker room. He stood waist-high next to Howell, who wore the net around his head and draped his arm around his fan.

"I'll see you at school this week," Howell, who has volunteered with Friends of Walla Walla for the duration of his time at Whitman, told the boy.

"Tonight was about representing my school, my family, my friends, Walla Walla…" said Howell. "Walla Walla has grown on me."

It's mutual, for sure. Howell's Blues on Saturday completed their second perfect regular season in as many years, a feat that had never been accomplished once prior to the 2016-17 campaign. The only undefeated men's basketball team across all levels of the NCAA became the first Division III foe this season to reach the 100-point plateau against Linfield, which has become over the last two seasons Whitman's toughest conference foil.

The last three meetings were decided by two, nine and four points, respectively.

Different story Saturday.

"Senior Night can be distracting," said Howell. "But our focus was there. Guys were playing their hearts out."

This wasn't just about the Blues' commitment to a one-game schedule -- although it was about that, too. This was about gratitude.

"In our program, relationships are everything," said Whitman head coach Eric Bridgeland. "It's their night. Everyone was going to give their best effort and focus. It was all about Tim tonight. Everybody viewed it that way."

First-year Darné Duckett, who Howell said is "like a little brother," treated Senior Night with all the gravity of a grizzled program veteran, scoring 20 points on eight-of-nine shooting.

"I love that kid," Howell said of Duckett. "He's coming along. He's a special playmaker on the court and special off the court."

Sophomore Trevor Osborne added 13 points, junior Joey Hewitt 11 points and Jacobs-Jones 10. Seven players had at least four rebounds. Junior Austin Butler dished five assists to clinch an absurd quartet of top-statistical rankings in the NWC for a 6-foot-1 guard. Butler led the conference in field goal percentage, blocked shots per game, steals per game, and assists per game.

The Blues (25-0, 16-0 in NWC) opened the contest on a 12-0 run, and after Linfield pulled to within four, proceeded to make seven of their next eight 3-pointers and race into the break with a 53-31 lead.

The Wildcats were never closer than 20 in the second half.

"We pushed the pace and got it down low when we needed to," said Jacobs-Jones. "Tonight was about proving that our hard work this season could lead to a great victory."

Everyone in a Whitman uniform played, which was as fitting as Howell leading all scorers to crown a regular season which started with jarring adversity and required an all-hands-on-deck philosophy. The Blues played all year without '16-'17 starters JoJo Wiggins and Jase Harrison, who along with key transfer Sam Geschickter were injured, and still won every game on their schedule.

"We didn't have those guys for one second. To figure it out all over again? That's a tremendous tribute to our guys' ability to stay present," Bridgeland said.

Now Whitman sets aside its 40-game regular season conference winning streak and begins its Northwest Conference tournament title defense. Linfield will return to Sherwood on Thursday for an 8 p.m. tourney semifinal.

"We're still getting adjusted to playing back at home, to playing in the 'Wood'," said Howell. "I think we're in a good place."