McMINNVILLE, Ore. – The Linfield Wildcats are off to a 1-0 start to Northwest Conference play following a 56-50 win over George Fox to open a doubleheader with the Bruins Friday night at Ted Wilson Gymnasium.
The six-point victory snapped a 33-game losing streak for the Wildcats against their cross-county rivals. The program's last win over the Bruins came in a 51-50 thriller at The House of Hustle during the 2006-07 season. The 'Cats swept that Bruins that year, also winning a 55-51 contest in Newberg in the first round of conference play.
Both squads shot better than 50 percent in the first quarter. George Fox connected on 6 of 11 from the field and added two three-pointers in the period, but Linfield went 7 for 12 with three field goals from beyond the arc to end the quarter up 17-14. The Bruins cooled the Wildcats down in the second quarter, limiting the home team to three buckets and seven points to take a 26-24 lead into halftime.
Linfield trailed by one point after three quarters but turned on the jets in the fourth, outscoring George Fox 23-16 in the period off 54.55 percent shooting to pick up the team's third win of the 2022-23 slate.
The 'Cats connected on 36.5 percent of their shots on the night and were 13 for 17 from the free throw line. Ten of those free throws came in the fourth quarter. They scored 28 points in the paint and added 14 points off 17 George Fox turnovers.
Ella Koebelin established a new season high to lead the 'Cats offensively. The freshman dropped 11 points and added two rebounds, seven assists and a steal. The seven assists were the most by a Wildcat this season and just missed a top-15 mark in the program's history.
Jordan Worthington shot 50 percent from the field to match her season high of 10 points, scored against Walla Walla on Nov. 15. The senior added four rebounds, an assist and a steal to her performance.
Janessa Yniguez just missed double figures with nine points to go with three assists while
Gillyan Landis finished with seven points and a team-high seven boards.
George Fox was led by Emily Stephens' double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. She made 75 percent of her shots while Ella Roberts went 4 for 11 to contribute 12 points and three rebounds. Both teams were cold from three-point range, but eight missed free throws by the Bruins were costly.
NEXT
The 'Cats (3-3, 1-0 NWC) hit the road on Saturday for a quick trip to Forest Grove, where they will take on the Pacific Boxers at 4 p.m. at the Stoller Center.