WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Taylor Chambers came off the bench to score 24 points, including 16 in the second half, sparking No. 9 Whitman to a come-from-behind Northwest Conference victory over the Linfield Wildcats Saturday night inside Sherwood Center.
 
The Blues, 22-3 overall and 14-3 in the NWC, finished as NWC runner up behind George Fox and will host Willamette Thursday in the opening round of the NWC playoff tournament. Linfield, in coach Casey Bunn-Wilson's third season, ended the 2017-18 campaign at 9-15 overall and 5-10 in conference play.
 
'Cat stats
Molly Danielson hit 6 of 8 shots and led Linfield in scoring with 17 points. Reserve Bailey McDevitt scored 16 points while gathering four rebounds. Kory Oleson delivered 15 points and eight rebounds.
 
Blues box score
Chambers made 6 of 11 shots and was 10 of 13 at the free throw line on her way to game-high scoring honors. Emily Rommel made all five of her field goal attempts  and ended with 15 points to go with six rebounds. Sierra McGarity scored 11 points and contributed a pair of steals.
 
The Wildcats held Casey Poe, the Blues' leading scorer, without a point during the opening half. Poe went 0-for-3 in the half and finished 2 of 11 for the game. She exited with eight points and four assists.
 
1st Half
Starting the the game's first point – a Danielson free throw, the Wildcats held the lead for 15 of the game's first 20 minutes. The Wildcats shot 45 percent from the field compared with the Blues' 34 percent. Linfield grabbed 21 first-half rebounds, including eight at the offensive end of the floor.
 
Paige Graham swished a three-pointer with five seconds left before the intermission, putting Linfield in front 33-28.
 
Oleson stuck in 5 of her 10 shot attempts for 10 points in the opening two quarters. Danielson worked free for five points and six rebounds.
 
2nd Half
A three-pointer by Maddy Burdett enabled Whitman to even at 39 with 6:30 left in the third quarter. Whitman took the lead two minutes later, moving in front on a jumper by Chambers.
 
Poe picked up her first field goal at the 2:14 mark of the third quarter, giving the Blues a 49-48 edge.
 
Whitman closed the period on a 10-4 run, taking its largest lead at 59-52.
 
The Blues continued to roll from there, scoring the first seven points of the fourth quarter to take a 66-52 advantage. Three pointers by Burns and Oleson kept the Wildcats within striking distance with just under six minutes to play. Danielson's bucket in the paint momentarily trimmed the margin to single digits, 69-60, but Chambers' three and subsequent baseline drive to the basket gave the hosts an insurmountable 14-point lead.
 
Seniors' last hurrah
Saturday's game marked the final contest for three Wildcat seniors. Jade Everage, Paige Graham and Genna Hughes played a combined 264 games together over the last four seasons.