PARKLAND, Wash. - Linfield secured its second consecutive win in thrilling fashion on Friday night, edging out Pacific Lutheran 79-78 in overtime at Olson Auditorium. After a hard-fought game that saw both teams battling through numerous lead changes, the Wildcats came out on top, improving their Northwest Conference record to 2-1.
The game opened with Linfield surging to a 47-30 lead by halftime, thanks to scorching hot shooting from behind the arc. However, Pacific Lutheran responded strongly in the second half, outscoring the Wildcats 37-20 to force the game into overtime.
With 17 seconds left in the extra period, Pacific Lutheran's Miles Nash found himself at the free throw line with the Lutes clutching onto a 77-76 lead. Nash missed the first free throw before draining the second. Linfield's
Josh Ryan took the ball out, inbounding it to
Jack Greenwood who sprinted down the court and found an open
Max Juhala in the corner. Juhala pulled up from behind the three-point line with 11 seconds left and nailed the shot to give the Wildcats a 79-78 lead that they would eventually hold onto and come out victorious.
Juhala's game-winner is the first of his young career and accounted for three of his 12 total points. He also pulled down five rebounds in 32 minutes of action.
Cayden Lowenbach led the team in scoring with 14 points, 10 of which came in the second half and his seven rebounds were also a team high.
Cade Collins put together another solid performance with 11 points, going 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. He showed his versatility with two rebounds and two assists. Alongside dishing out the game-winning assist, Greenwood contributed eight points, one steal and went 2-of-2 from three-point range.
Chase Bennett also played a pivotal role, contributing 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 28 minutes of action.
The game saw standout performances from both teams, with Pacific Lutheran's Julian Brown scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Despite their strong individual performances, the Lutes could not capitalize at the free throw line in the second half, shooting just 61.5% from the stripe.
Linfield's ability to control the paint, out-rebounding Pacific Lutheran 38-32, was key to its success. The Wildcats shot 44% from the field and an impressive 45% from range, while the Lutes shot 44% overall and 47% from behind the three-point line.
NEXT
This victory puts the Wildcats at 5-7 overall and marks their second straight win. Linfield will look to carry this momentum to Saturday afternoon when it meets Puget Sound at 4 p.m. in another NWC clash.