WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Linfield Wildcats' season came to a close Friday night with a 65-55 loss to the Whitman Blues in the first round of the Northwest Conference Tournament at the Sherwood Athletic Center. The Wildcats, who finished the season with a program record-tying 19 wins battled hard but ultimately fell short against the top-seeded Blues, who advanced to face George Fox in the championship.
Linfield started strong, taking a 16-12 lead after the first quarter behind a balanced offensive effort. Sophomore
Allie Mead proved to be a catalyst for the Linfield offense as she finished the quarter with five points, two assists and an offensive rebound. The Wildcats' defense saw success in the first frame, holding the Blues to just 37.5% shooting.
The Wildcats maintained their momentum early in the second quarter, but Whitman's offense found its rhythm, outscoring Linfield 21-15 in the period to take a 33-31 halftime lead. Linfield wasn't going quietly and gave fifth ranked nationally Whitman all it could handle.
Despite trailing by as many as seven points in the third period, Linfield fought back to tie the game at 41-41 late in the third quarter after a layup from
Jayden Ray. An Amelia Mead triple would give the Wildcats a 46-44 lead and a huge momentum shift to end the quarter. However, Whitman's Carly Martin, who finished with a game-high 24 points, hit three straight three-pointers in the final period to secure Whitman's lead. Linfield struggled offensively in the fourth quarter, shooting just 28.6% from the field and 0-for-4 from three-point range.
Defensively, Linfield forced 16 turnovers and held Whitman to 40.8% shooting, but the Blues dominated the boards, outrebounding the Wildcats 33-20. Whitman's Korin Baker recorded a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Holly Morgan added 14 points and five rebounds.
Tana Hoekema showed what Linfield's future could look like with
Gillyan Landis ending her storied career as the freshman recorded a team-high 18 points, three rebounds and a block in the loss. Mead also provided an offensive spark with 14 points, four rebounds and six assists. Solt and
Eve Burke poured in six points with Burke adding six rebounds, a team high.
Linfield's season ends with a strong showing in the NWC, marking the program's most successful campaign in recent years. The Wildcats will look to build on this foundation as they return key players and get significant contributors back from injury.
Whitman advances to face George Fox in the NWC championship on Saturday.