McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield and Walla Walla were virtually inseparable for 40 minutes at Ted Wilson Gymnasium on Sunday evening. The largest lead of the game was six points on either side. The game came down to the final few seconds and
Joshua Ryan's pair of made free throws was the difference a Linfield 70-68 victory over Walla Walla.
Linfield freshman
Cade Collins finished with a team-high 24. Fellow freshman
Garrett Callsen finished with a double-double tallying 14 points and 13 points. Ryan matched Callsen with 14 points of his own.
Chase Bennett combined for eight points and eight assists.
The Wildcats totaled 37 percent from the field on 64 shot attempts and 26 percent from behind the arc.
Andrew Vaughan finished with a game-high 25 points for Walla Walla. Ethan Ford was the only other Wolves scorer in double figures with 10. The Wolves (1-3) combined for 43 percent from the field on 60 shot attempts and 29 percent from three.
Walla Walla held a slight advantage at the end of the first 20 minutes leading 35-31. The Wolves 40 percent from the field bested the Wildcats 31 percent. Callsen (10) and Collins (7) paced the scoring for the Wildcats in the first half.
The second half similarly to the first was tightly contested all the way through. Linfield led by as much as six on multiple occasions, but the Wolves didn't go away and battled until the very end. Walla Walla's Soren Dalan fouled Ryan in the final three seconds with the game locked at 68. Ryan stepped to the line and knocked down both attempts as the Wildcats outlasted the visiting Wolves.
COMING UP
Linfield (2-3) returns to action on Friday for their first Northwest Conference matchup against Pacific Lutheran at 8 p.m.