PORTLAND, Ore. --- Linfield men's basketball (7-9, 5-3 NWC) provided yet another thrilling late-game win on Saturday night, as Garrett Callsen's two free throws secured a 72-71 win over the reigning NWC-champion Lewis & Clark River Otters (8-9, 4-4 NWC).
 
Both squads sitting near the middle of the Northwest Conference standings entering the night traded blows consistently throughout a game that featured 20 lead changes. Kohsuke Fujiwara kicked off the scoring with a second-chance layup to go up 2-0. Nalu Vargas and Garrett Callsen gave Linfield the lead following a River Otters three, only to be matched with another moments later.
 
Vargas, coming off of last night's career performance, added a three at 14:15 to put the Wildcats up by six. The Otters clawed back to make it a one-possession game at the midway point in the first half, where Callsen's takeover would start. He added a three after making a layup on the previous possession to keep the 'Cats level with the Otters entering the final minutes of the first half.
 
With the lead changing with each basket, Lewis & Clark ended the half with a 5-2 run to take a 29-27 lead into the locker room.
 
Callsen scored four of Linfield's first five buckets early in the second half, although just keeping pace with the Otters whose offense began to heat up. Chase Bennett ended a drought that lasted over two minutes, meanwhile an 8-0 L&C run gave the hosts a 46-41 lead prior to Bennett's bucket.
 
The Otters lead stretched to as many as six with ten minutes to play, but Magaña, Fujiwara, and Callsen clawed the 'Cats back to a 53-52 lead. Both Fujiwara and Magaña sank triples to later give Linfield a six-point lead of their own, only to yet again be broken down in the closing minutes. 
 
Trailing by four with 16-seconds left, Lewis & Clark sank a three, grabbed a steal, and made a fast break layup to quickly take a 71-70 lead with 11-seconds left to play. Coming out of a timeout by head coach Elijah Gurash, the story set up almost identically to the Wildcats game earlier at Puget Sound.
 
Bennet's layup was off the mark, but Callsen was found in a rebound attempt, sending him to the line with the game in his hands and just one-second on the clock following a replay review. Callsen capped off his stellar night by sinking both free throws to give Linfield a 72-71 win after the Otters heave was unsuccessful.
 
"We did not play our best tonight, I felt we got too sloppy with the ball." Said Gurash. "But, the guys continue to fight through the struggle and stayed committed to not giving up."
 
Callsen's continued heroics played a role in his 25 points that led all scorers, adding eight rebounds and three assists as well. Magaña three triples fueled his 15 points, while Vargas grabbed eight board and dished four assists. In a game that featured 20 lead changes, the 'Cats found success in the paint, scoring 42 of 72 points down low.
 
The cardiac 'Cats have found beauty in games separated by six points or less, boasting a 6-2 records in such games, where all five NWC wins have come in such fashion. The win also moved the Wildcats into a tie for third in the conference standings with Willamette at the halfway point in the NWC slate.
 
Men's basketball aims to extend their winning streak in a matter of days, hosting the Pacific Boxers on Tuesday inside Ted Wilson Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m.
 
To follow Linfield Wildcats coverage all season long, visit golinfieldwildcats.com. Please consider following Linfield Athletics on Facebook, and @LinfieldSports on Instagram and X.com. 
 
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