PORTLAND, Ore. – The Linfield women's basketball team led as much as 12 points, but Lewis & Clark settled in at home to top the Wildcats 64-60 Friday night at Pamplin Sports Center.
The Wildcats got off to a 25-15 start in the first quarter before the Pioneers stormed back in the second quarter to take a 36-35 lead into the break. Both teams traded punches in the second half, but it was the Pios who held on for the four-point victory on their home court after 14 lead changes.
The Pioneers scored 26 points in the paint and 19 points off 17 Linfield turnovers. They shot 37.5 percent from the field while going 7 for 17 from three-point range. Five of those threes came in the second half.
Karli Mukai and Eva Richards led the Pios offensively. Mukai dropped a game-high 17 points on 7 of 15 shooting to go with three assists and three steals. Richards finished with 15 points, six rebounds, four steals and a block. Delsie Johnson and Ishara Sorensen scored eight points apiece.
The Linfield bench scored 29 points to keep the 'Cats in the game while the 'Cats also outrebounded the Pioneers 39-29. But the Pios dominated down below, scoring 26 points in the paint.
Junior guard
Janessa Yniguez scored a career-high 16 points in the loss, going 5 for 11 from the field, 3 for 8 from three-point range and 3 for 4 from the free throw line. She also had three rebounds, four assists and a steal. Freshman guard
Emma Schmerbach flirted with a double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds while freshman forward
Gillyan Landis had eight points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Fellow freshman forward
Elyse Waldal had 10 points and two rebounds.
NEXT
The 'Cats (0-15, 0-7) will end the week at home, hosting Puget Sound at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Ted Wilson Gymnasium.
UPDATED SPECTATOR POLICY
To ensure that the Linfield Community, i.e. Students, Staff, and Faculty, remain as healthy as possible during the latest surge of COVID cases due primarily to the Omicron Variant in Oregon, Linfield Athletics is adjusting our current athletic contest spectator policy to the following:
- For the home-based basketball games on January 29, home and visiting student-athletes will be allotted 4 family member spectator tickets; those 4 people will be on a list and must provide proof of vaccination at the door. They will also be expected to sit together at the event. No additional spectators will be allowed entry at this time. These policies also are applicable to the home swim meet on January 30 except ONLY SENIORS on the Linfield swim team will be allowed to have guests.
- There will be no admission charge for approved spectators.
- All participants, coaches, spectators and operations personnel must comply with mask use while inside our facilities (except players or officials during active competition and practice). This means wearing the mask over your mouth & nose at all times. No exceptions AND non-compliant individuals will be told to leave the venue!
- Spectators are asked to space themselves throughout the bleachers, as per physical distancing guidelines.
- There will be no band attendance.
- Concessions will not be sold until further notice. Food is not allowed in our venues, but non-alcoholic drinks may be consumed during events as long as proper masking is taking place between actively taking a drink.
- These adjustments are temporary, and we will re-evaluate all protocols regularly.