FOREST GROVE, Ore. – Shots weren't falling for the Linfield men's basketball team in the second half as the Wildcats let one slip away in a 69-66 loss to Pacific Tuesday night at the Boxers' Stoller Center.
"We gave ourselves lots of chances today, but ultimately, they made one more play than we did at the buzzer," head coach
Shanan Rosenberg said.
The Wildcats put up 42 points in the first half but scored just 24 the rest of the way to let the Boxers back in the game. Pacific's Trevon Ridley nailed the game-winning three with just over one second left in the game to put the Boxers up by three.
Linfield fell short despite getting 23 points from senior guard
Dempsey Roggenbuck. Roggenbuck went 8 for 17 from the field and a perfect 6 for 6 from the free throw line. He also had two rebounds, four assists and a block. Fellow senior guard
Max Lommen flirted with a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds to go with two assists and three steals. Senior forward
Aaron Baune also scored in double figures with 12 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore guard
Jackson Dupree contributed seven points.
"I thought Aaron and Max did an excellent job on the glass," Rosenberg said. "That was a real positive for us."
The 'Cats shot 52 percent in the first half, including 37.5 percent from three-point range. They made 37 percent from the field and 11.1 percent from beyond the arc in the second half. The 'Cats scored 38 points in the paint, but the Boxers scored 20 points off 13 turnovers.
Pacific was led by Jared Cattell's 17 points on 5 of 13 shooting. All five field goals were from three-point range. Lucas Winkler was on his way to a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while Isaiah Africano had 12 points and four rebounds.
"Last weekend was very draining and I'm not sure we recovered all the way," Rosenberg said.
NEXT
The 'Cats (15-6, 10-3 NWC) fell to third place after tonight's loss. They will look to bounce back on Friday as they host George Fox at Ted Wilson Gymnasium. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. Whitworth and Pacific Lutheran, currently tied atop the NWC standings, will meet Friday night in Tacoma with first place on the line.
"We have an excellent team and lots to play for still," Rosenberg said. "I look forward to our response this Friday and beyond."