McMINNVILLE, Ore. – In a season that has seen freshman after freshman contribute in big ways, tonight was
Rowan Cusack's time to shine.
The freshman guard knocked down the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Linfield women's basketball team to its first victory of the season with a 62-59 win over Whitworth Friday night at Ted Wilson Gymnasium. The win moved the Wildcats to 1-17 overall and 1-9 in Northwest Conference play, snapping the program's 24-game losing streak.
Cusack scored 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting from the field, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. She also finished with four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Freshman forward
Gillyan Landis just missed a double-double, leading the Wildcats with 15 points and a game-high nine rebounds to go with a pair of blocks.
Brooke Landis also scored in double figures with 13 points, connecting on 4 of 5 from the field and a clutch 3 of 3 from outside.
Whitworth got off to a 15-10 lead after the first quarter and then outscored the Wildcats 21-19 in a back-and-forth second period. The momentum swung in favor of Linfield coming out of the break as the 'Cats outscored the Pirates 20-9 in the third quarter before hanging on in the fourth to give Cusack a chance to get a shot off as time expired.
The 'Cats shot 37.5 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from deep and 73.9 percent from the free throw line. Whitworth made 46.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. After the Pirates went off for 50 percent shooting in the second quarter and 69.2 percent shooting in the third, the 'Cats limited the Bucs to just 36.4 percent shooting in the fourth to keep themselves in the game.
Quincy McDeid dropped a game-high 21 points to go with seven rebounds, a block and a steal. She went 6 for 10 from the field, 3 for 5 from long range and a perfect 6 for 6 from the charity stripe. Tara Kanashiro also put up double figures with 10 points, three rebounds, four assists and five steals while Madison Hagen scored nine points off the bench.
NEXT
The 'Cats will host first-place and No. 6-ranked Whitman at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Ted Wilson Gymnasium.