College Place – Walla Walla women's basketball hosted No. 21 Whitman College Blues Wednesday evening on Windemuth Court. A game-high 17 from Makena Stone led the Blues to a 78-50 victory, as the Blues held the Wolves 27-percent shooting for the game.
 
Opening up the game, the Blues (3-0) scored the first five points to take a 5-0 lead in the first three minutes. Wolves' guard Carolina Montes finally got the Wolves on the board, converting three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt. The Blues maintained their lead heading into the first-period media timeout, holding a 10-7 lead. 

The Blues extended their lead to 17-10, as they held the Wolves (1-43) scoreless for two minutes. Jaliyah Casem, reigning Red Lion Player of the Week, stopped the Wolves scoring drought, knocking in a triple from the top of the arc. The Blues went on to lead after the opening period, 23-15. Free throw points (7-for-8) and second-chance opportunities contributed to the Blues taking the lead in the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, the Wolves put together a small run to cut into the Blues lead after Isabella Robles knocked in a triple and Montes converted a layup. The Blues defense picked back up, as they forced the Wolves into multiple possessions with the shot clock winding down while holding them to a single point over four minutes. The defense fueled the Blues into a 41-26 halftime lead, as they held the Wolves to just under 30-percent shooting from the field.

As the second half started, both teams had empty first possessions before a Casem 3-pointer started the second-half scoring. The Blues responded, however, putting together an 8-0 run and forcing Wolves head coach Paul Starkebaum to take a timeout, as the visiting team extended their lead to 20 points, the largest of the game. Coming out of the timeout, the Wolves picked up the defensive pressure, holding the Blues to three points over four minutes, but they only scored five points of their own, as the Blues continued maintaining their double-digit lead and took a 56-34 lead heading into the final quarter. 

The Blues extended their lead in the fourth quarter to 25 and continued holding this lead for a 78-50 victory, as both teams emptied their respective benches. Despite the loss, the Wolves scored their highest point total against Whitman College. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Carolina Montes scored 17 points to lead the Wolves, while Makena Stone led the Blues with 17.
• The Blues took advantage of 18 offensive rebounds, converting 17 second-chance points 
• The Blues received 40 bench points, compared to seven for the Wolves.
• Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, shooting a combined 10-62.

NEXT GAME:
 
The Wolves will continue their preseason, traveling to Southern California for a three-game road trip. La Sierra University (Riverside, Calif.) is their first scheduled matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for Friday, November 22 at 2 p.m.

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