SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth outscored Linfield 22-8 in the third quarter on the way to a decisive 77-57 Northwest Conference victory over the visiting Linfield Wildcats Friday night inside the Whitworth Fieldhouse.
 
What it means
With the win, Whitworth (9-14, 4-10 NWC) completed  a season series of Linfield (9-14, 5-9 NWC), which lost its third straight contest.
 
1st Half
The opening two quarters proved topsy-turvy as both squads enjoyed big runs. The Pirates built a sizable 11-point advantage following Erika Kuehn's three-point bucket with 7:08 left in the second quarter. Linfield responded with a 17-2 run to open up its largest lead of the game, 35-29, with 1:20 remaining before the break. Whitworth ended the half with five straight points to pull within one point, 35-34, as the teams retreated to the halftime locker room.
 
Linfield's Kory Oleson pumped in nine points and grabbed seven rebounds prior to intermission. Molly Danielson scored eight points, hitting 3 of 4 shots. Erin Burns passed out four assists. Madison Moffat had 11 points and Camy Aguionaldo added 10 to lead Whitworth in the scoring column.
 
2nd Half
Whitworth opened the third quarter on a tear, staging a 13-0 run over the first 3½ minutes. The Pirates' lead grew to 16, 55-39, after Grace Douglas hit a three-pointer at the 3:39 mark. Whitworth got most of its points near the basket, outscoring Linfield 10-2 in the paint during the period.
 
Into the fourth quarter, Linfield could never seem to gain traction. The 'Cats came no closer than 15 points early in the period.
 
Linfield by the numbers
Oleson and Danielson shared top scoring and rebounding honors, each finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds. Burns totaled six assists. Jade Everage came away with five steals, adding six points and four rebounds. Genna Hughes grabbed six rebounds in 13 minutes of action. Hanna Bingham had five points in nine minutes off the bench, hitting one of Linfield's four three-pointers on the night.
 
Linfield surrendered 20 turnovers compared with Whitworth's 12. The Pirates shot better from the field, 47 percent to the Wildcats' 32. The taller Wildcats outrebounded the Pirates by a 47-39 margin.
 
Whitworth stat lines
Moffat totaled a game-high 20 points while adding six rebounds and fiv e steals. Aguinaldo ended the night with 12 points, six assists and five rebounds. Kuehn and Douglas also reached double figures, each with 11 points.
 
Next
Linfield heads to Walla Walla for a late Saturday afternoon matchup with No. 9 Whitman. Tipoff at Sherwood Center is set for 4 p.m.