McMINNVILLE, Ore. - The Linfield men's basketball team took a 95-87 victory in a wild double overtime game against Pacific Tuesday night at Ted Wilson Gymnasium. The win was powered by a triple-double from freshman
Trey Bryant, a career-high 21 points from
Jackson Dupree and a miracle shot by
Jacob Hjort to end the first overtime period.
The Boxers proved to be a tough test early in the game, going back and forth with the Wildcats before breaking off a 15-0 run to end the first half and go ahead 39-24. Linfield struggled shooting the ball through the first 20 minutes, shooting 37 percent in the half and going 0 for 8 on three-pointers while Pacific shot above 50 percent while hitting five threes.
The 'Cats shook off the poor start and came out of the locker room on a tear. Although Pacific scored first to open the second half, stretching its lead to 17, Linfield answered with a 15-2 run of its own to make the score 43-41 with 13:03 left in regulation.
After trading buckets for a brief stretch, Linfield gained a bit of separation with 7:44 to play when Dupree hit a pair of free throws to stretch the Wildcats' lead to seven, their largest of regulation.
The Boxers would close the gap again, and even regained the lead 68-67 on a three-pointer from Trevon Ridley.
Reece Gibb and
Max Lommen split a pair of free throws each in the final two minutes and 10 seconds to put the 'Cats up 72-70, but a shooting foul with 13 seconds remaining put Ridley at the line, where he tied the game and forced overtime.
Both teams fought through the first overtime period but with seconds remaining it was the Boxers who led by three. After advancing the ball and calling timeout, the 'Cats had just 6.4 seconds to find a shot from beyond the arc.
The Boxers brought their best defensive effort on the final play of the first overtime, taking away many of Linfield's options. After receiving the inbound pass, Bryant was completely smothered and was forced to give the ball to Hjort. Although just as covered, Hjort was somehow able to get off a 30-plus foot shot at the buzzer, sinking it to force double overtime.
Hjort shot just 1 for 6 in regulation and didn't attempt a field goal in the second half. In the two overtimes, he made 3 of 4 field goals, and along with Lommen, led the 'Cats in scoring with eight points.
"I'm stoked for Jacob, who needed a break like that. He's an excellent shooter," head coach
Shanan Rosenberg said. "Jacob is a very capable player. Part of his inconsistent game play is that he's adapting in a difficult time. I'm honestly elated for him to feel the deep emotion that comes with a play like that and also that he should feel more confident in his ability."
Lommen finished the night with 18 points, three assists and four steals. Fourteen of the senior's points came in the second half and overtime.
Fueled by Hjort's incredible shot, Linfield controlled every moment of the second overtime, quickly taking the lead on a pair of made free throws by Lommen and never relinquishing. A made basket on a baseline cut by Hjort off a textbook bounce-pass assist from Bryant made the score 94-87 and was the final nail in the coffin with 50 seconds left.
Bryant finished the night with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and two blocks while shooting 6 of 10 from the field. He became just the 11
th Wildcat in program history to record double-digit assists and just the second since 2002. Bryant's 3.5 assists per game currently sit sixth in the NWC.
"
Trey Bryant was sensational tonight, holy cow," Rosenberg said. "He showed some amazing intelligence, skill, courage, athleticism, tenacity and grit tonight. I couldn't be more thrilled for our team to have such a mature freshman provide such high impact. He's elevated everyone's play."
Dupree's 21 points was a potential breakout performance for the talented San Jose, California product. The sophomore's performance Tuesday night was the first time he scored in double figures this season. His previous career best was 11 points, set last season against George Fox.
"Jackson was great for us tonight offensively and grabbed a few key rebounds," Rosenberg said.
Despite a dismal start to the game shooting the ball, Linfield finished at 50 percent on field goals thanks to 58 percent shooting in the second half and 57 percent in overtime.
"All these kids have endured a ton these two years now, as has our world. They all found themselves determined together in that second half," Rosenberg said. "I couldn't be more proud of their belief in each other and love for one another tonight that won us the game."
The 'Cats also rebounded well as a team, outrebounding Pacific by five and pulling down a season-high 21 offensive rebounds, leading to 20 second-chance points. Linfield owned the paint all night, outscoring Pacific 52-42 inside.
Mario Mora led Pacific with 23 points, draining six three-pointers. Four other Boxers finished in double-figures.
NEXT
The win improved Linfield to 8-3 overall and 3-0 in Northwest Conference play, tied for first in the conference standings with Pacific Lutheran. Pacific fell to 4-8 overall and 0-3 in NWC competition.
The Wildcats will now face down four contests on the road and will play their next five games over a course of seven days. They take on George Fox in Newberg on Saturday at 6 p.m. before heading out to eastern Washington to take on Whitworth on the Jan. 18 and Whitman on Jan. 19 in a rescheduling of games intended for last weekend. Linfield then visits Willamette in Salem on the 21st before hosting Pacific Lutheran on the 22
nd.