McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Tied in the Northwest Conference standings and with only six games remaining, Friday night's matchup between Linfield and Puget Sound had major implications for the conference layout. Puget Sound got off to a hot start that it maintained throughout the contest and came away with a 71-56 victory in Ted Wilson Gymnasium.
The Loggers dominated early, jumping out to a 31-13 lead early in the first half behind eight quick points from Zane Miller. However, the Wildcats closed the half on a 12-5 run on the back of seven points from Percy Whittaker to close the gap to 38-25 at halftime.
Linfield struggled offensively in the first half, shooting 27.3% (9-of-33) from the field. However, the Wildcats came out with more energy in the second half, outscoring Puget Sound 33-31.
Josh Ryan led the Wildcats with 10 points, including two three-pointers. Ryan was joined in double digits by Whittaker who added 10 points and came down with five rebounds. Sophomore
Garrett Callsen recorded a season-high 11 rebounds in the loss.
The Wildcats managed to pull within 10 points midway through the second half, but Puget Sound responded and maintained the lead throughout the contest. Linfield's shooting improved in the second half, but it could not overcome the early deficit. The Wildcats' shooting percentage climbed to 34.4%, but their 3-point shooting struggles continued, finishing just 6-of-22 from beyond the arc.
Zane Miller led the charge for the visitors with a game-high 24 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including two three-pointers. Will Pohland added 15 points, hitting 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Taj Phillips added 11 points, five rebounds, and seven assists.
The Wildcats now enter do-or-die mode for the remainder of the season. With just five games left on the schedule and sitting at 4-7 in the NWC, Linfield has work to do to make a conference tournament appearance.
NEXT
Linfield turns its attention to Pacific Lutheran who visits Ted Wilson Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon with tipoff scheduled for 4 p.m.