OLYMPIA, Wash. – Evergreen State outscored Linfield 39-27 in the second half, handing the Wildcats a 65-55 defeat Saturday night inside Constantino Rec Center. It was just the Wildcats' second loss in nine games.
 
Linfield lines
Playing nearby his hometown of Lake Tapps, Washington, Linfield guard Riley Bruil made 7 of 10 shots from the field and finished with a team-best 20 points. Bruil nailed six three-pointers on the night while adding four rebounds, two assists, a steal, plus a blocked shot.
 
Dempsey Roggenbuck came off the bench for 10 points, making 3 of 5 from the field, including a pair of three-pointers.
 
Linfield recorded eight blocked shots in the game. The rejections originated from seven different players with only Troy Arce had more than one block.
 
Leading scorer Jordan Clark was limited to six points and two rebounds in 21 minutes of action.
 
Eric Daul made his return to the basketball court after nearly of year of injury rehabilitation. Daul had two points, two assists and one steal in 11 brief minutes of action.
 
Evergreen outputs
Dustin Meade pumped in a game-high 23 points to go with nine rebounds and three steals. Shawn Spencer dropped in 18 points on 7 of 14 shooting, and Jaurence Chisholm added 12 points, five rebounds and three blocks.
 
The Geoducks owned the backboards, outrebounding the Wildcats by a 43-28 margin.
 
How it played out
Bruil scored 11 points in the opening period, making all three of his three-point attempts. Roggenbuck accounted for seven points before intermission as Linfield built a 28-26 advantage.
 
Meade awoke in the second half, delivering 16 points to keep the Wildcats at bay.
 
Roggenbuck's three-pointer with 10:48 left gave Linfield a 44-41 lead. The Geoducks answered by launching a 9-0 run to gain control for good.
 
The sudden swing of momentum included two technical fouls on Linfield coach Shanan Rosenberg, who was ejected from the game for the first time since becoming Wildcats coach four-plus seasons ago. Meade made all four free throws resulting from the technicals, then followed with a three-pointer with 6:12 left that pushed the hosts in front, 52-44.
 
Next
Linfield plays Portland State in an exhibition game on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Lewis & Clark College. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Pamplin Sports Center.