McMINNVILLE, Ore. –
Chase Bennett led Linfield with 20 points but scorching hot shooting from visiting Lewis & Clark led the Pioneers to a 78-63 victory over the Wildcats on Friday night at Ted Wilson Gymnasium.
Jack Greenwood and
Cade Collins were the next two closest with six points each. All but one player who checked in for Linfield scored at least two points. Linfield shot 41 percent on 56 attempts and knocked down 4-16 shots from behind the arc.
Mikey Medlock Jr. led the Pioneers with 18 points followed by TJ Muhammad (15) and Griffin Datcher IV (13). The Pioneers (6-12, 2-7 NWC) shot 50 percent on 52 shot attempts and made 8-20 three-point attempts with six coming in the second half. The Pioneers shot 80 percent from the free-throw line as a team.
Bennett paced all scorers with eight points, but Lewis & Clark held a slight 27-26 lead after a physical first 20 minutes. Linfield outshot the Pioneers from the field, 44 percent compared to 38.
Lewis & Clark jumped ahead by 13 in the first seven minutes of the second half. The Pioneers continued to slowly separate, leading by as much as 20. The Wildcats tried to chip away at the lead in the final minutes but only came as close as 10. Lewis & Clark outscored Linfield 51-37 in the second period and shot over 61 percent.
COMING UP
The 'Cats (6-12, 1-8 NWC) return to the floor on Saturday when they face Pacific Lutheran on the road at 6 p.m.