PLATTEVILLE, Wisc.  The outcome had been decided for a long time.

Perhaps the shocking, brutal finality that had been massing, like columns of cumulonimbi over the Great Plains, since the early moments of an NCAA Division III men's basketball sectional championship here Saturday at Bo Ryan Court had begun to dissipate, or at least lose menace.

There were four minutes, 20 seconds left in Nebraska Wesleyan's 130-97 victory over Whitman when the Blues' only senior, Tim Howell, checked out of the game.

It was a quiet end to what was arguably the greatest career in program history, by a player and person who has inarguably been one of the Walla Walla Valley's brightest lights, possessing one of its truest servant hearts.

"Not a lot of guys give it all," Whitman head coach Eric Bridgeland said. "Tim gave it all."

There is no doubt that Whitman, which finished the season 29-2 and is one of just two programs at the Division III men's level to have reached the Sweet 16 or beyond in three consecutive seasons, will maintain that excellence going forward. The program remains loaded with talent, its culture committed, its bonds unbreakable.

There is also no doubt that Howell will be missed. And not just the points he scored (27 on Saturday, 1,890 in his career), or the wins (104) he helped orchestrate, in his inimitable way, over four unforgettable seasons.

"I don't have the words," said Bridgeland. "He gave us everything. Maybe the greatest thing about Tim Howell, he gave Whitman everything, he gave Walla Walla everything. He gave everyone associated with him everything. To his campus, to his community, to his program, to his teammates…"

Howell has for four years spent time -- hour by hour, week by week -- with Friends of Walla Walla, which matches adult volunteers with children in need of a caring, adult presence in their lives. He has always been easy to find after home basketball games, especially by the parade of children -- seeking a selfie or dap or eye contact -- who he greets warmly and gently and for as long as they need.

He spent several hours Saturday afternoon helping celebrate an 11-year-old's birthday party, playing with glitter goo.

"People have no concept of how special a person he is, and how could they?" said Bridgeland. "I have never seen a person give that much."

Nebraska Wesleyan (28-3) looked unbeatable Saturday in extending an 11-game winning streak and notching a school-record 28th victory. It will be a load for the rest of the Final Four next weekend in Salem, Virginia.

Jack Hiller paced six Prairie Wolves in double-figure scoring with a game-high 30 points. Nebraska Wesleyan shot 68 percent (47 of 69) from the field and 62.5 percent (15 of 24) from beyond the 3-point arc. It led by 26 at halftime, then banged its first four 3-pointers of the second half. It rarely led by fewer than 30 points after the break.

"That team…" said Bridgeland. "Wow."

The Prairie Wolves navigated Whitman's pressure with blithe precision, had their pick of open looks, romped to the cup with impunity, and rarely missed.

From anywhere.

"We couldn't do anything to influence the game," said Bridgeland. "We've seen a lot of the best teams, but we've never seen a team like that. We couldn't pressure them. We couldn't keep them off the glass. They just went by us. They didn't seem to tire. They didn't miss.

"Best team I've seen in our time at Whitman."

A 17-2 Prairie Wolves run over the first five minutes opened a 20-7 lead that merely teased what was coming.

A 10-0 run to the 8:57 mark of the first half stretched that lead to 44-21, at which point Nebraska Wesleyan had made 18 of 24 shots -- including all five of its 3-point attempts.

It was 67-41 at halftime.

At one point early in the second half, the Prairie Wolves had made 11 of 14 3-pointers.

"There's not a Division II team that beats that team tonight. They way they shot it, the way they moved," Bridgeland said. "We gave it everything we had and didn't make a dent. I hope they go win it."

Junior Jack Stewart and sophomore Trevor Osborne each had 16 points and five rebounds for Whitman. Junior Joey Hewitt added eight points and four offensive rebounds. Junior Austin Butler had six rebounds and six assists. First-year Darné Duckett had seven points and two steals.

Junior Cedric Jacobs-Jones (five rebounds) and sophomore Robert Colton (six rebounds) scored six points apiece.

The Blues were looking to become the first team since Amherst in 2013 and 2014 to make consecutive national semifinal appearances. They finished one game shy, despite playing the entire season without two injured senior starters.

"If you would have told me that we'd be in the Elite Eight without Jase (Harrison) and JoJo (Wiggins), I would have said you were joking," Bridgeland said. "Guys just stepped up this season. There was a chance when we lost two starters of us getting stuck (wondering), 'Where to now?' 'How is this team going to look?' 'Can we play the same style?'

"The perseverance and focus that this group had, just to go through every game… It was unparalleled professionalism, by kids."