MCMINNVILLE, Ore. --- Linfield men's basketball (4-8, 2-2 NWC) slowed the Willamette Bearcats (8-7, 3-3 NWC) on Tuesday night, grinding out a 67-61 win.
 
Willamette got the scoring started on the opening possession of the game, sinking a three to take an early lead. Dayton Magaña and Kohsuke Fujiwara answered a few minutes late with back-to-back threes, giving Linfield their first lead of the game at 8-7. The two squads traded baskets throughout a four-minute stretch, until Magaña and Gavin Perdue's threes gave the 'Cats some insurance. 
 
Just as Perdue sank a second three, Willamette answered the call, applying pressure to the Linfield defense with pace and cutting the lead to just one. Garrett Callsen got to work down low, while Magaña sank another three, stretching the lead back to six with five to play. Logan Morrill went to work in the paint with consecutive baskets, including executing and-one opportunity in the closing minutes. 
 
Linfield's defense paired with control over the pace of the final stretch, held the highest-scoring offense in the Northwest Conference to just 23 points in the first half, as Linfield led 36-23 at halftime. 
 
The Bearcats opened the second half with a 6-0 run, ended by a Garrett Callsen layup as the shot clock expired in the 17^thminute. Linfield's double-digit lead slowly dwindled down as Willamette's defense slowed the 'Cats while the Bearcats made back-to-back threes to tie the game up at 47-47 with ten minutes to play. Following the game-tying three, a flagrant foul was issued to Willamette, allowing Linfield to take the lead once again when Perdue sank a pair of free throws.
 
The game found itself tied a pair of times over a three-minute stretch, before Linfield took a one-possession lead, to which they would maintain into the final minutes. Leading by three with 88 seconds left, Nalu Vargas drained a corner three to extend the lead to six, leading to a steal on the other end by Magaña. The steal with the shot clock turned off meant Willamette needed to win the foul game while making clutch shots down the stretch.
 
Chase Bennett's free throw put the 'Cats up by seven, but the Bearcats answered with a four-point play to make it a one possession game with 11 seconds left. Bennett sank a pair of free throws to win the free throw battle down the stretch, helping Linfield knock off Willamette, 67-61.
 
Magaña paced the Wildcats with 21 points, adding two rebounds and a steal, while Logan Morrill set a new career-high with 11 boards to help his double-double of 14 points. Bennett's defense helped slow the conference's highest-scoring team, grabbing three steals and dishes four assists.

"[I'm] really proud of our guys' ability to find a way to win when we're not at our best." Said head coach Elijah Gurash following the win. "There will be things to learn, but the team did a good job staying composed when it mattered."

Linfield held Willamette to less than 63 points for just the third time this season. 
 
The Wildcats home stand comes to a close, as they head to Tacoma, Washington, this weekend for a pair of games against Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran on Friday and Saturday.
 
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