PARKLAND, Wash. – Kory Oleson scored a career-high 22 points and Molly Danielson dropped in 20 points and gathered six rebounds for the Linfield Wildcats, who ended a two-game swoon with a 74-59 Northwest Conference victory over the Pacific Lutheran Lutes Saturday night at Olson Auditorium.
 
Where they stand
Linfield stayed in the hunt for a NWC tournament playoff berth, improving to 5-7 in conference action and 9-12 overall. PLU sank to 1-11 in NWC play. The Lutes are 5-16 overall.
 
1st Half
Behind the six points of Genna Hughes, the Wildcats built an eight-point advantage after one quarter. Linfield went 10-for-10 at the free throw line in the quarter. A buzzer-beating layup by Hughes to end the opening quarter put Linfield in front 21-13.
 
The margin remained at eight through the second period, though the Lutes did trim the difference to four points, 30-26, after Kylie Rademacher sank a pair of free throws with 3:32 left before the break. Molly Danielson pumped in six points in the quarter, hitting all three of her field goal attempts.
 
Linfield shot 40 percent from the floor in the opening half, compared to PLU's 26 percent. The Wildcats were perfect at the line, converting all 12 of their free tosses.
 
2nd Half
The third quarter was evenly played with Linfield outpointing PLU, but barely, 14-13. The 'Cats pulled away in the fourth, scoring 24 points to the Lutes' 18.
 
Linfield ledger
Oleson scored 16 of her 22 points in the second half, sinking 8 of 12 shots from the field. Danielson made 9 for 11 attempts, all from close range, while grabbing six rebounds and blocking one shot. Burns totaled six assists to go along with six points. Hughes recorded nine points, three rebounds and three assists, while Audrey McMillan ended the night with 10 points, four rebounds one steal and an assist.
 
The Wildcats made 21 of 25 free throw attempts while the Lutes made just 13 of 20 from the line.
 
PLU totals
Three Lutes scored in double figures. Madison Salisbury went for 15 points, making 7 of 15 from the field. Rademacher and Kristin Sturdivan each netted 10 points.
 
Behind Anna Hurd's 10 rebounds, PLU had a slight edge on the backboards, 36-34.
 
Next
Linfield returns to the Tacoma area on Friday to face the Puget Sound Loggers in a 6 p.m. contest.