McMINNVILLE, Ore. – In a game for the ages, the Linfield Wildcats defeated the Whitman Blues for the first time since the 2010-11 season. Winning 73-70, Dempsey Roggenbuck led all scorers with 18 in a gritty, grind-it-out ball game  Friday night in Ted Wilson Gymnasium. Linfield can claim a share of the Northwest Conference title with a win Saturday night against Whitworth.

"It was not a particularly pretty game for either team but I thought our ball security and defense was outstanding," said Linfield coach Shanan Rosenberg. "Whitman is a great team and we knew they would make a run, but I'm glad we held on to win."

With a packed house, the Wildcats brought the energy and effort early. There was an extremely quick pace from both teams early in the House of Hustle. Tanner Autencio hit two three-pointers to get Linfield going and Carson Bonine added five early points off the bench.
 
Whitman struggled to get into a rhythm early, but did have seven different players score at least one bucket in the opening 10 minutes. Neither team was very efficient in the opening frame. Whitman shot just 29.2 percent from the field. Linfield was a tad better, shooting 39 percent but only converted on four of its 14 three-point attempts.
 
But then the Wildcats caught fire, and in a big way. A 21-5 run quickly gave the Wildcats a double-digit lead with four minutes left in the half. The run was sparked by blanket defense from Linfield, which forced 10 turnovers in the first half. The Wildcats converted on those opportunities, scoring 16 points off of turnovers.
 
Roggenbuck had 15 points in the first half while Austin Hilton scored all 11 of his points in the first. Darne Duckett had seven to lead the Blues at the half. The Wildcats won the turnover battle in the first, 10-5, and the score was 49-34 Linfield at the break.

"Austin Hilton was sensational with his defense and hustle tonight. Dempsey made some timely plays for us on offense, but our defense won that game."
 
In the second half, Whitman completely turned it around on offense. After a 5-1 run from Linfield to open the final half during which time the Blues shot 1 for 7 from the field, Whitman finally got its footing.
 
The Wildcats went two minutes without scoring, creating a 6-0 run for the Blues. Linfield proceeded to follow that up with a five-minute scoreless streak and a 10-0 run for Whitman made the score 68-59. A Roggenbuck three finally gave Linfield a basket, but what amounted to a 23-4 run for Whitman brought the game to within three points.
 
Free throws became a significant factor down the stretch, with Linfield shooting 2 of 6 from the free throw line in the second half. The Wilcats shot 11 for 20 from the charity stripe for the game. Matt Berger split a pair of free throws before Duckett scored a layup to make it a two-point game at 72-70.
 
Jaron Kirkley had an opportunity to try and tie the game in the waning seconds. Kirkley attacked the basket, but good defense from Aaron Baune and Max Lommen combined to stop the threat and force a tough shot. Lommen followed that up by splitting a pair of his own free throws to make it 73-70. The Wildcats tipped the pass with two second left on the ensuing possession to secure the win.
 
Hilton finished the night with 11 points and 15 rebounds before fouling out. Tanner Autencio finished with nine points, six rebounds, and four assists. Lommen finished with eight points, four steals and three rebounds.
 
Duckett and Kirkley each scored 15 to lead the Blues. Duckett added 11 rebounds to lead the team and Kirkley had six. Andrew Vickers came on in the second half, scoring 14 points with seven rebounds. Duckett had four steals as well.

"We need to recover in a hurry and get ready to play for a share of the title against an excellent Whitworth team," said Rosenberg, looking ahead to Saturday's regular-season finale.

UP NEXT
Linfield (19-5, 12-2 in NWC) can clinch a share of the NWC title with a win against the Whitworth Pirates (20-4, 18-1 in NWC). With a win the Wildcats would also host a semifinal playoff game against Whitman. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. with coverage on the Linfield Sports Network at 5:40. Part two of the Pack the House Weekend, sponsored by Oregon State Credit Union, will be in full effect with the first 250 fans in attendance receiving a free T-shirt.