MCMINNVILLE, Ore. --- Linfield women's basketball (10-2, 3-0 NWC) once again dominated the second half, winning their sixth-straight game, 59-39 over the Whitworth Pirates (1-12, 0-4 NWC). 39 ties the 'Cats fewest points allowed in a game this season. 
 
Senior Miki Vermeulen notched the first points of the game on Linfield's first possession, sinking a pullup jumper. Whitworth responded with an 8-0 run thanks to a pair of threes to take an early lead. The Wildcats clawed their way back with a 12-4 run, with Jadyn Harell sinking two lay-ins to tie it up at 14-14 with 1:26 remaining in the quarter. The Pirates made two baskets late, leading 18-14 through the first ten minutes.
 
Whitworth's lead grew to as large as seven through the first four minutes, while Linfield battled through a drought lasting over five minutes without a basket. Skylar Willey and Eve Burke single handedly tied the game up late in the half, as Amelia Solt and Allie Mead capped off a 13-2 run over the final 6:46. The 'Cats regained the lead with the run, 28-24 at the halftime break.
 
The offense paired well with more tough defense, where for a second night in a row, the momentum flipped in the third quarter for Linfield. Whitworth was unable to find a score through the first three minutes of the second half, later pulling within four points at the six-minute mark. Those two buckets would be the visitors last of the third, as Miki Vermeulen, Mead, and Willey led a massive 16-2 run to close out the third and lead by 18; Willey sank a buzzer-beating jumper to cap off the game-changing run. 
 
The drought for Whitworth crept into the fourth, extending the scoreless stretch to over 13 game minutes. Now with an over 20-point lead, the offense settled in, Ella Koebelin and Lauren Buchanan sealed the deal, Linfield cruised to a dominant 59-29 win. The defense held the Pirates to just 15 points in the second half. 
 
It marks the 'Cats sixth consecutive win, advancing to 3-0 in Northwest Conference play, trailing only the 4-0 Loggers at the top of the conference standings. 
 
Nine different Wildcats scored points on the stat sheet, led by Willey who's 12 points came on 6-11 from the field and in just 22 minutes on the court. The defense forced 24 Pirate turnovers, with Solt earning four takeaways, while Vermeulen had a game-high eight boards. Outshooting Whitworth in all three phases, the offense was nearly 49% from the field, meanwhile the Pirates shot just 34%. 
 
The Wildcats continue the home stand on Tuesday evening, hosting the Willamette Bearcats at 5:30 p.m. inside Ted Wilson Gymnasium.
 
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