FOREST GROVE, Ore. --- Linfield men's basketball (1-7, 0-1 NWC) kicked off Northwest Conference play in a standalone game on Saturday evening, dropping the opener, 75-50, to the Pacific Boxers (4-4, 1-0 NWC).
Garrett Callsen began the scoring on the first possession of the night, sinking a lay-in after a pair of offensive rebounds. Pacific tied it up three times over the next three minutes, before a 6-0 run gave the Boxers an 18-13 lead.
Nalu Vargas and
Donovan Johnson tied the game back up at 18-18, while Dayton Magaña's three gave the 'Cats a 21-20 lead with 9:08 remaining in the first half.
An ensuing 10-0 run by Pacific propelled the hosts out to a 30-21 lead that was extended to 38-23 at the end of the first 20 minutes. Linfield was held to just one bucket over the final nine minutes.
The Wildcats drought extended two-and-a-half minutes into the second half, until
Chase Bennett stopped the bleeding with a three pointer, making it 43-26 Pacific.
Logan Morrill and Bennett handled the Wildcats offensively for the majority of the half, cutting the deficit to 15 a pair of times.
Buckets were tough to come by for Linfield down the stretch, unable to make a comeback of significance, while
Gavin Perdue and
Lucca Hart earned valuable minutes on the court, with Hart sinking a three in the closing minutes. Pacific cruised to a 75-50 win, spoiling the Wildcats first Northwest Conference game under first-year head coach Elijah Gurash.
Bennett led the 'Cats in scoring for the first time this season as the lone double-digit scorer behind four of 12 shots from beyond the arc. Bennett and Callsen had six rebounds each, while
Nalu Vargas led the way with eight boards. The shooting woes plagued Linfield on Saturday evening, boasting just 28% from the field and 18% from three.
The Wildcats are back at home next Friday, hosting the Alma Scots inside Ted Wilson Gymnasium at 5 p.m., hosting their second-to-last non-conference matchup of the season.
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