McMINNVILLE, Ore. – After coming back to top Puget Sound in the final seconds of Friday's Northwest Conference opener, the Linfield men's basketball team ran away with an 87-60 rout of Lewis & Clark Saturday night at Ted Wilson Gymnasium.
The Wildcats started off hot and ended even hotter, scoring 42 points in the first half and 45 points in the second. The team made 51.61 percent of its shots in the first half and improved to 54.55 percent in the second half, making 10 three-pointers along the way. The 'Cats put up 30 points in the paint.
Seniors
Dempsey Roggenbuck and
Aaron Baune stole the show in the 27-point victory. Roggenbuck, a fifth-year guard and D3Hoops.com Preseason All-American, dropped a game-high 26 points, connecting on 10 of 13 from the field, 4 of 4 from three-point range and 2 of 2 from the free throw line. He also had three rebounds. Baune finished one point short of his career high with 25 points on 10 of 18 shooting from the field, 3 of 7 from beyond the arc and 2 of 2 from the charity stripe. He just missed a double-double with nine rebounds to go with three assists and a block.
"What a night for Aaron. He was spectacular," head coach
Shanan Rosenberg said. "He lifted everyone around him and made play by play with his heart and soul engaged. Anyone from Yamhill County would be proud and inspired by Aaron's play and leadership.
"Dempsey found his connection to our team and his peace tonight. I pray that it awakens the champion within. He is an extraordinary player and person who has endured a tough spell of games and found some joy again tonight, and that is important for our team."
Freshman point guard
Trey Bryant also scored in double figures for the 'Cats as he also fell just short of a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds to go with three assists and a steal in 31 minutes. Senior guard
Max Lommen scored seven points and had two rebounds and three assists.
"Trey was extraordinary in all phases of his play on both sides of the ball," Rosenberg said. "He's a gifted young player and reminds me a lot of Dempsey as a freshman. I was happy he had a great performance that lifted his team at home. Our whole team admires Trey's play and character."
The 'Cats limited the Pioneers to 32.1 percent shooting from the field and 29.2 percent from outside. Jack Henderson led the team offensively with 17 points, making 6 of 17 from the field to go with three three-pointers. Henderson also pulled down four rebounds and finished with an assist and a steal. Brenden Patrick and Grant Stewart finished with 11 points apiece.
NEXT
The 'Cats improved to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in Northwest Conference play with their second straight win. They will take a break from NWC play, hosting Piedmont on Dec. 10.