NEWBERG, Ore. – In their first game of the 2021 season, the Linfield Wildcats fell 68-51 to the George Fox Bruins at the Wheeler Sports Center on Friday night. Freshman Peyton Bergevin had 12 points off the bench in her first career game.
 
The Wildcats start their season with an 0-1 record in the Northwest Conference and overall. The Boxers are 1-1 overall and 1-0 in conference.
 
Linfield pulled to 12-10 with four minutes left in the first quarter on a layup by Brooke Landis, but George Fox scored the next seven points to take a 19-10 lead after the first quarter. The Bruins outscored the Wildcats 20-10 in the second quarter, leading 39-20 at the break.
 
Delaney Ragan had seven points for Linfield in the first half, Paige LaFountain had five and making her first career start, Alexis Heald had six. Ragan also led the team with five rebounds.
 
The Wildcats closed the game out on four straight points scored by Bergevin, who shot 4 for 6 in the second half, scoring all of her 12 points in 11 minutes. The Bruins' Jenna Lacey had 16 points, Mackenzie Lewis had 11 off the bench. Lewis had 10 rebounds as well.
 
George Fox shot 44.6 percent from the field and made three three-pointers, while the Wildcats shot 30.8 percent made five shots from deep. Bergevin had two of the five three-pointers for the Wildcats. LaFountain, Ragan and Landis had the other three.
 
Shasta Lofgren and LaFountain led the team with six rebounds each, Ragan was the team leader with two assists. Landis had two steals.
 
Freshmen Bergevin and Alaina Clark made their college debuts. Ti'Anna Bruce, a junior transfer from Greenville University came off the bench to make her Wildcat debut.
 
Friday's game was the first for the Wildcats since February 29, 2020.
 
UP NEXT
The two teams play the second half of the home-and-home series in McMinnville on Saturday at 4 p.m. No spectators are allowed at any Northwest Conference events.