McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Dempsey Roggenbuck and Will Burghardt combined for 38 points to lead Linfield to a wire-to-wire 78-71 nonconference win over Northwest Sunday afternoon on the Ted Wilson Gym hardwood.
 
Roggenbuck hit 10 of 18 shots from the floor while adding three rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Burghardt was equally effective, netting 7 of 11 from the field, including a perfect 4-for-4 performance from outside the three-point arc.
 
Tanner Autencio hit a three-pointer to put Linfield in front just 13 seconds into the game and the Wildcats remained in control for the entire duration. Linfield built leads as large as 16 points in the first half, only to watch as the Eagles clawed their way back into contention in the second period.
 
When Hussayn Ford converted a layup with 3:25 to play, the Linfield lead had dwindled to just two points, 69-67. But the Wildcats closed the contest by outscoring the visitors 9-4 the rest of the way.
 
"I was proud of the way we held strong when Northwest made a run at us late in the second half," said Wildcats coach Shanan Rosenberg. "We did a great job of taking care of the ball and forcing 21 turnovers."
 
Linfield helped its cause by outshooting Northwest, .525 to .408. Grant Gibb turned in a solid shooting night by hitting 5 of 9 field goals. The Eagles, behind Ford's 16 rebounds, held a clear advantage on the backboards, 49-27.
 
"Many of our guys contributed offensively, especially in a game where they did a great job of limiting our three-point attempts," noted Rosenberg. "For Grant Gibb to have 14 points with only one made three-pointer was for great news for us and Grant."
 
Burghardt contributed a team-high four assists to go with his 18 points.



"Will made some tremendous and timely plays, but he's a great player who is never afraid of the moment," said Rosenberg.
 
Reserve center Matt Berger was effective around the rim, hitting all four of his shots from close range to finish with eight points in 16 minutes. Max Lommen chipped in with seven points, an assist, plus a blocked shot in 12 brief minutes.
 
"Matt Berger was outstanding scoring in the post tonight. I was really proud of him," praised Rosenberg. "Dempsey did a great job staying active and getting deflections on defense."
 
Four Eagles scored in double figures. Dejwan Walker had 18 oints, Ford and Cesar Sandovol both totalled 15 points, and Chrisitan Hakilimali dropped in 13 points to go with six rebounds.
 
NEXT
Linfield (2-1) travels to Olympia, Washington, for a Tuesday night contest at Evergreen State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.