Winning 12 of its last 13 games, Whitman finished with a 19-6 regular season record and a 13-3 mark in the NWC, good enough for a first-place tie with Puget Sound.
Whitman's good fortune turned sour soon after the game's conclusion, when Puget Sound won a coin toss to claim the NWC's automatic berth to the NCAA Div. III playoffs. The coin toss was conducted by the NWC Commissioner's office in a telephone conference call involving the athletic directors from both schools.
Puget Sound earned its share of the NWC title by winning 66-55 at Linfield Saturday evening.
The NCAA Div. III playoffs, which begin next Wednesday, start with a field of 50 teams. Whitman remains eligible for one of six at-large berths available to conference runner-ups from around the country. A national selection committee will fill the at-large spots on Sunday.
In Saturday's game, first-year forward Sarah Laird scored 15 points, hitting four of eight 3-point shots, to power Whitman's offense. Sophomore Lizzy Washburn, also a forward, added 12 points, 10 rebounds and four assists before fouling out with 25 seconds left in the game. Sophomore guard Laura Vertatschitsch contributed 11 points five boards and four assists.
Katie Patneaude, another member of Whitman's talented first-year class, just missed a double-double, scoring nine points to go with eight rebounds. Sophomore Megan Higgins and first-year player Shea Morrissey scored eight and six points, respectively, off the Missionary bench.
George Fox (13-12, 7-9) also had three players scoring in double figures. Kim Leith had 16 points, Kellie Thomas had 15 and Liz Clark 12. Darby Cave, a senior and the leading scorer for the Bruins, was in foul trouble much of the game and finished with just six points.
Trailing 30-29 at halftime, George Fox scored the first two points of the second half to take only its second lead of the night. Whitman responded with a 13-5 scoring spree to regain control. After Laird hit a 3-pointer to spark the run, Patneaude and Vertatschitsch tallied six points apiece to put the Missionaries in front 43-34 with 14:14 left to play.
A few minutes later, Laird nailed another trey that led to a 52-40 Whitman lead at the 8:32 mark. George Fox refused to go quietly into the night, outscoring the Missionaries 17-5 to pull even at 57-all with 3:27 remaining. After Denise Kirstein, one of two seniors on the Whitman roster, hit one of two free throws, Vertatschitsch drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Washburn then scored off an offensive rebound with 56 seconds remaining to give the Missionaries a 63-57 cushion.
Free throws, five by George Fox and four by Whitman, finished the night's scoring.
Whitman jumped in front early in the first half, grabbing a 20-9 lead after eight minutes of play. Laird and Washburn tallied 16 of the first 20 Missionary points. George Fox closed out the half on a 6-2 roll to trail 30-29 at intermission.
The Whitman women's team, picked in one preseason poll to finish last this season, set school records for most wins in a season (19), most consecutive wins (nine), and highest winning percentage (.760).
George Fox vs Whitman 2/28/04 6:00pm at Walla Walla, Wash. (Sherwood Center) At Walla Walla, Wash. (Sherwood Center) WHITMAN 68, GEORGE FOX 62 GEORGE FOX (13-11, 7-8) Leith, Kim 6-18 0-0 16; Thomas, Kellie 5-14 4-4 15; Clark, Liz 3-7 5-5 12; Fitch, Amy 3-7 3-4 9; Cave, Darby 3-8 0-1 6; Myhre, Sarah 0-3 3-4 3; Taylor, Robin 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-58 16-19 62. WHITMAN (19-6, 13-3) Laird, Sarah 5-14 1-2 15; Washburn, Lizzy 5-10 2-4 12; Vertatschitsch, L. 4-12 1-3 11; Patneaude, Katie 1-7 7-7 9; Higgins, Megan 3-5 2-2 8; Morrissey, Shea 2-4 1-2 6; Kirstein, Denise 2-4 1-2 5; Stephenson, Anna 1-1 0-0 2; Romero, Mandee 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-58 15-22 68. George Fox.................... 29 33 - 62 Whitman....................... 30 38 - 68 3-point goals-George Fox 6-20 (Leith, Kim 4-11; Clark, Liz 1-3; Thomas, Kellie 1-6), Whitman 7-16 (Laird, Sarah 4-8; Vertatschitsch, L. 2-3; Morrissey, Shea 1-3; Higgins, Megan 0-1; Washburn, Lizzy 0-1). Fouled out--George Fox-Thomas, Kellie; Fitch, Amy, Whitman-Washburn, Lizzy. Rebounds-George Fox 34 (Myhre, Sarah 7), Whitman 43 (Washburn, Lizzy 10). Assists-George Fox 12 (Thomas, Kellie 5), Whitman 14 (Vertatschitsch, L. 4; Washburn, Lizzy 4). Total fouls-George Fox 23, Whitman 20. A-400