MCMINNVILLE, Ore. - Linfield dominated Portland Bible, securing a 91-42 victory in a non-conference matchup Thursday night at Ted Wilson Gymnasium. With the win, the Wildcats improved to 2-5 on the season.
The game was decided early, with Linfield taking a commanding 38-23 lead at halftime, before pouring on 53 points in the second half. Linfield's defense was stifling throughout, forcing 30 turnovers from Portland Bible. The Wildcats capitalized on the fast break, scoring 18 points in transition, and their defensive pressure resulted in 19 steals.
Offensively, Linfield was led by
Lucca Hart, who poured in 11 points, including three three-pointers, on 4-of-5 shooting. He also grabbed one rebounds and had two assists in 10 minutes of action. Percy Whittaker contributed 10 points as the only other Wildcat in double figures to go along with three rebounds, two steals, and two assists in the win, playing 20 minutes.
Jack Greenwood also had an efficient night, scoring eight points, including two three-pointers, in just 10 minutes of play.
The Wildcats' bench contributed a total of 60 points, with
Garrett Callsen adding six points and three rebounds.
Max Juhala had seven points, six rebounds and two assists, while
Cade Collins recorded six points, three assists and three steals. Additionally,
Josh Ryan registered four points and four rebounds in 12 minutes of action.
Linfield shot 39-of-74 (52.7%) from the field, including an even 10-of-20 (50%) from beyond the arc. They also outrebounded Portland Bible 39-22, including 15 offensive rebounds, which led to 14 second-chance points. The Wildcats' balanced scoring and suffocating defense proved too much for Portland Bible, which struggled to contain Linfield's high-tempo offense.
Portland Bible was led by Rashad Hickson, who scored 16 points on 5-of-14 shooting, and Jimmie Proctor, who added 15 points, three rebounds and played all 40 minutes. However, their shooting struggles (11-of-33 from the field, 4-of-15 from three) and high turnover rate hindered any comeback efforts.
With the win, Linfield demonstrated their ability to execute on both ends of the floor, a performance they will look to build on as Northwest Conference play quickly approaches.
NEXT
Linfield hopes to keep the wins coming on Saturday, Dec. 14, when Warner Pacific comes to McMinnville at 7:30 p.m.