SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – Linfield tied the game at with less than a minute to play but some late-game heroics by Cal Lutheran carried the Kingsmen to an 85-81 nonconference win over the previously unbeaten Wildcats Saturday night at Kaiser Permanente Arena.
 
Playing in the four-team UC-Santa Cruz Classic, the Wildcats suffered their first defeat in four outings this season. The Kingsmen squared their season record at 1-1.

"We looked tired first half and made many surges but never got over the hump," said Wildcats coach Shanan Rosenberg, whose team was playing its fourth game in seven days. "Cal Lu played very well. I was happy with our second-half fight."
 
How it played out
CLU built a 10-point lead during the first half, shooting 54.2 percent from the field to Linfield's 34.2 percent. The Kingsmen also ruled the backboards during the game's opening 20 minutes, registering a 25-13 edge in rebounds.
 
The Wildcats improved their shooting and rebounding after intermission and remained within five points or fewer of the Kingsmen for the better part of the second half.  Eventually, Linfield evened the game at 81 on Will Burghardt's basket with 34 seconds remaining, giving the Wildcats a reasonable chance to pull the game from the fire.
 
Cal Lutheran got the points it needed with 11 seconds to play as Kyle Ferreira swished a jumper. Grant Gibb missed a potential go-ahead three-pointer on the next play and Marcus Lord fouled Austin Cole to preserve the clock. Cole hit both ends of the two-shot free throw opportunity, icing the outcome in Cal Lutheran's favor.
 
Linfield lines
Gibb scored 21 of his 25 points in the second half. Burghardt, whom Rosenberg called "outstanding," added a career-best 22 points and seven assists, putting Linfield in position to win in the late stages of the second period. Dempsey Roggenbuck added 16 points, though the sharpshooter went 0 for 4 from beyond the three-point arc and 8 of 18 overall.
 
Tanner Autencio came off the bench to add a pair of three pointers, five rebounds, three assists and one steal.
 
Gibb nabbed a team-best seven rebounds, though Linfield lost the rebounding battle 39-31.

"This game will serve us well," said Rosenberg.
 
Cal Lutheran box score
Cole hit 8 of 15 shots on the way to a team-high 24 points. Ferreira added 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Palmer Chaplin and Michael Wadworth both passed out eight assists for the Kingsmen.
 
CLU shot 52.6 percent for the game, including a 6-for-11 performance from three-point range.
 
Next
Linfield is idle for the Thanksgiving break before diving into Northwest Conference play on Friday, November 30, at home against Pacific Lutheran. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.