McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield caught fire after halftime and turned a 10-point deficit into a 13-point victory, winning a 58-45 contest with Lewis & Clark Saturday at Ted Wilson Gymnasium.
The Wildcats celebrated the careers of four seniors before the game.
Alexis Heald,
Paige LaFountain,
Jordan Worthington and
Janessa Yniguez all earned starting nods in their final home game. And the team made sure to send the quartet off in style.
Lewis & Clark went up 23-16 at the break and led by double figures with 8:54 left in the third quarter. That lead was quickly trimmed to just one following a 19-point period by Linfield. The Wildcats outscored the Pioneers by 20 points in the second half, pouring on another 23 points in the fourth quarter while holding the visiting team under double figures.
Linfield shot 51.2 percent from the field and finished 7 for 14 from three-point range. The 'Cats drained three shots from deep in both the third and fourth quarters. They outrebounded their opponents, 45-27, and scored 28 points in the paint.
Gillyan Landis matched her season high with 20 points on 8 of 12 from the field, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. She added four rebounds, three assists and a block to her game. The sophomore has scored in double figures on 11 occasions this season.
Eve Burke was a perfect 3 for 3 on the night, backing Landis with nine points and three rebounds.
Miki Vermeulen, Worthington and
Elyse Waldal all put up six points for the 'Cats. Vermeulen grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
The Pios took 16 more shots than the 'Cats but connected on just 23.7 from the field. Karli Mukai carried the load, shooting the ball 23 times on her way to dropping a team-high 17 points. Natalie Elstone finished with 12 points while Charlotte Carroll had nine while leading the Pios with six rebounds.
NEXT
Linfield (10-13, 6-8 NWC) is just outside the playoff picture, sitting in a three-way tie for fifth place with George Fox and Whitworth. The 'Cats end the regular season with a trip to eastern Washington, playing at Whitworth on Feb. 17 and at Whitman on Feb. 18.