FOREST GROVE, Ore. - The Wildcats extended their unbeaten streak to 5-0 with a commanding 70-54 win over Concordia-Texas on Saturday afternoon at the Stoller Center in the Ken Schumann Classic . Linfield overcame a slow start in the first quarter to dominate the second and third periods, leading by as much as 28 points in the third quarter.
Linfield's balanced attack was spearheaded by junior
Eve Burke, who recorded 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including two crucial three-pointers. Burke also added eight rebounds, showing her all-around play. Senior
Gillyan Landis contributed 16 points and eight rebounds, with a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the free-throw line. Landis also recorded one block and one steal to bolster the Linfield defense.
The Wildcats dominated the glass for the fifth straight game, outrebounding Concordia 50-34. Linfield grabbed 18 offensive boards, resulting in 21 second-chance points, which proved crucial in the game. In addition to Landis and Burke's efforts,
Miki Vermeulen and freshman
Tana Hoekema also contributed heavily in the rebounding department, grabbing 11 and six boards respectively. Hoekema also poured in seven points, continuing the impressive start to her collegiate career.
In the backcourt, Linfield saw strong performances from
Amelia Solt, who scored 11 points and tallied three assists, and
Allie Mead, who chipped in two points and four assists while also locking down the Tornado's attack with three steals.
The game's turning point came in the second quarter, where Linfield began firing on all cylinders, putting up 29 points in the period, a season best for the Wildcats and took a commanding 43-25 lead into halftime. In the second half, Linfield continued to assert its dominance, limiting Concordia to just 29 points in the second-half.
Concordia's top performer, Destiny Mathews, finished with 23 points on 7-of-16 shooting. Kiki Gonzales posted a near double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to overcome Linfield's balanced and physical play.
NEXT
The Wildcats aim to match their best start since the 2005 season at 6-0 on Tuesday night against Corban at 5 p.m. in Ted Wilson Gymnasium.