SPOKANE, Wash. –
Rowan Cusack scored a season-high 16 points, but the Linfield women's basketball team fell 81-64 to the Pirates Tuesday night at Whitworth Fieldhouse.
The freshman guard went 7 for 12 from the field and 2 for 5 from three-point range in her third start of the season. She also finished with four rebounds, three assists and a block. Fellow freshman guard
Emma Schmerbach also finished in double figures with 14 points, connecting on 7 of 11 from the field. Schmerbach pulled down a team-high seven rebounds to go with four assists, four steals and a pair of blocks. Freshman forward
Elyse Waldal contributed eight points, shooting 60 percent from the field, including 66.7 percent from beyond the arc.
The Wildcats got off to a 14-10 lead after the first quarter, but that lead would diminish early in the second quarter as the Pirates outscored the 'Cats 26-11 heading into the break. The 'Cats got within seven points after the third period, but the Pirates dropped 25 points in the fourth quarter, sealing the deal by scoring the game's last eight points.
Linfield shot 47.4 percent from the field and was the better team from three-point range, going 6 for 17 from deep. The Pirates scored 16 of their points off free throws while the 'Cats only had seven free throw attempts. The Pirates also outrebounded the 'Cats 37-28. As a team, Whitworth shot 49.2 percent from the field, 31.3 percent from three-point range and 72.7 percent from the free throw line.
Olivia Mayer led a group of five Whitworth players to score in double digits. Mayer turned in a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds to go with three assists, three steals and a block. She knocked down 9 of 12 from the field, 1 of 3 from outside and 3 of 4 from the charity stripe. Madison Hagen scored 12 points on 5 of 8 from the field while Quincy McDeid had 11 points. Devyn Cope and Tara Kanashiro finished with 10 points apiece.
NEXT
The 'Cats (0-12, 0-4 NWC) will continue their road trip in Walla Walla, playing at Whitman at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the second of four games this week.