MONMOUTH, Ore. --- Linfield men's basketball (2-7, 1-0 NWC) surrendered a first half lead, falling on the road at Division II Western Oregon, 57-55. The Wildcats completed non-conference play on Saturday, picking back up at home in three weeks in 2026. 
 
Linfield began the scoring on their second possession of the night, as Dayton Magaña fed Garrett Callsen down low to take a 2-0 lead. Magaña drained a three of his own shortly after, followed by a second Callsen layup, Linfield led 7-3 through the first seven minutes.
 
Both squads traded threes, with Kohsuke Fujiwara getting on the stat sheet, as well as Logan Morrill getting to work in the post. Nalu Vargas' great night got started with 10:29 remaining in the first half, with his three extending the lead to eight. Vargas sank another deep ball to follow, helping negate a Western Oregon push that cut the deficit to just one.
 
Jackson Bluhm and Callsen drained threes of their own, while Vargas made his third of the half inside the final 60 seconds, putting the 'Cats up 29-20 at the half.
 
The Wolves opened the second half with consecutive jumpers, quickly answered by Chase Bennett and Nalu Vargas; Vargas made his fourth three of the night to cap off a 7-0 Linfield run, the largest lead of the night grew to 36-24. The threes rained down in Monmouth, with the Wolves sinking three while Vargas made yet another to hold onto a narrow lead with under 10 minute left in the game.
 
Linfield went over four minutes without a field goal, allowing Western Oregon to take the lead back for the first time since the opening tip, leading 42-40 with seven to play. Fujiwara and Callsen tried their best to keep the 'Cats close, coming within one multiple times during a high-scoring back-and-forth stretch. WOU made two threes in the final 2:05, taking a commanding 57-50 lead inside the final minute, as Callsen was charged with a pair of turnovers. 
 
A foul game in the closing seconds, Fujiwara made a jumper, followed by a Magaña three, but it was too-little, too-late, for the Wildcats, falling short to Western Oregon, 57-55.
 
Vargas' five threes led to his team-high 17 points (both career-highs), also leading with seven boards and a steal. Bennett dealt nine assists, while Callsen went 6-9 from the field for his 15 points. The 'Cats shot an impressive 51% from the field and 58% from three, but turned the ball over 14 times in the game.
 
The Wildcats enjoy the holidays off, returning on January 9, 2026, with the continuation of Northwest Conference play. The 'Cats pick back up, hosting Whitman and Whitworth on back-to-back nights inside Ted Wilson Gymnasium. 
 
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