SPOKANE, Wash. – Five starters scored in double figures and the favored Whitworth Pirates pulled away in the second half, sending the Linfield Wildcats to an 86-75 defeat Friday night in Northwest Conference men's basketball action at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.
 
"Whitworth was exceptional tonight," said Linfield coach Shanan Rosenberg. "We did a good job with Kyle Roach but their other guys really stepped up."
 
1st half
The opening half featured six lead changes as both teams jockeyed for momentum. Whitworth bolted to a 19-11 lead eight minutes into the contest. A 10-1 Linfield run, capped by a Dempsey Roggenbuck layup, swung control back to the Wildcats' side of the court, if only temporarily. Roggenbuck's basket gave the 'Cats a 21-20 advantage with 9:20 left in the period. 
 
Behind the 11 points of Jared Christy, Whitworth established a 40-35 lead at the intermission, Linfield's Riley Bruil matched Christy's output with 11 points of his own.

The Pirates shot 60 percent from the field, compared to the Wildcats' 43 percent.
 
2nd half
Behind the play of stars Roach and Ben College, Whitworth kept pressure on the Wildcats throughout the second period. When Roach converted a pair of free throws at the 14:54 mark, the Pirates led 50-40 and proceeded to extend their lead from there.
 
Stat check
Coming off the bench, Liam O'Reilly worked his way free for 18 points, hitting 7 of 12 shots. He added five rebounds, two assists and two steals, helping the Linfield second unit deliver a 26-5 differential in bench points. Linfield forced 15 Whitworth turnovers while surrendering the ball just eight times.
 
"Liam was a real bright spot for us tonight. He played very well," said Rosenberg. "The team did a great job with ball security and turnovers, that was very positive."
 
Roggenbuck ended with 14 points but the sleek Linfield guard was held to 5 of 13 shooting. Bruil had 11 points, all in the first half. He three rebounds and one steal. Backcourt mate Troy Arce contributed 11 points plus a pair of steals.
 
Christy led the way for Whitworth with 19 points and seven rebounds. College and Garrett Hull poured in 17 points each while Ben Bishop scored 15 points and Roach chipped in 13 points and six assists.
 
The Pirates maintained their torrid shooting pace throughout the second half, shooting 60 percent overall. The Wildcats hit 42 percent of their attempts. Whitworth owned the backboards, outrebounding Linfield 36-27.
 
Where they stand
Linfield (16-7, 10-6 NWC) dropped back into a tie for third place with Puget Sound heading into the Saturday's regular-season finale. Both teams have clinched NWC playoff berths, so the only question is where each will play in Thursday's opening round.
 
A Linfield victory Saturday at Whitman, coupled with a Puget Sound loss to Pacific, earns the Wildcats a return trip to Spokane to play second-seeded Whitworth (21-3, 13-2 NWC). A loss to Whitman translates into a shorter but perhaps more difficult trek to Walla Walla to play the two-time NWC champion Blues.
 
Next
Linfield faces the challenge of trying to knock off unbeaten and top-ranked Whitman (24-0, 15-0 NWC) on the Blues' home court. Tipoff is set for Saturday at 6 p.m.