MCMINNVILLE, Ore. --- Linfield men's basketball (3-7, 1-1 NWC) played lockdown defense, leading to senior guard Dayton Magaña's game-winning three in the final second to give the Wildcats a 65-62 win over the Whitman Blues (6-7, 1-3 NWC).
"[I'm] really proud of our guys for staying focused and playing unselfishly tonight." Said Head Coach Elijah Gurash after earning his first NWC win of his head coaching career. "They fought through adversity and found a way to win."
Linfield's offense came out of the gate hot, sprinting out to a 7-0 lead in the first 60-seconds of the game. The defenses got to work, as both teams had three-minute scoring droughts in the half, while the Wildcat's lead grew to as large as nine multiple times as
Gavin Perdue and Dayton Magaña sank triples halfway through the first half.
An 8-2 run by the Blues clawed their way back into the defensive affair, cutting the deficit to one-score numerous times down the stretch.
Nalu Vargas, Magaña, and
Logan Morrill were able to keep the 'Cats ahead, leading 30-26 through the first 20 minutes.
Although
Chase Bennett drained a three, it was just the Wildcats second basket of the opening six and a-half minutes of the second half, helping Whitman to tie the game a pair of times. The Blues led once at 40-38, but a 10-0 run capped off by a
Donovan Johnson three gave the 'Cats a much-needed cushion entering the final 10 minutes.
The second half saw five instances of the two teams tied, with Linfield's late lead dwindling in the final minute, Whitman tied it for the final time at 62-62 with just 22-seconds remaining. Gurash's timeout helped set the table for the final possession, where Vargas dished a dime to Magaña who drilled a deep three to put the 'Cats up 65-62, leading just 0.3 seconds left on the clock; essentially, sealing the deal.
The senior guard's game-winner not only blew the roof off of Ted Wilson Gymnasium, but also earned his first-year head coach his first conference win of his head coaching career.
Magaña also led the 'Cats in scoring with 15, going 3-5 from beyond the arc and 6-14 from the field. Vargas tallied a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 boards and a pair of steals. Linfield outshot the Blues all-around, while the defense forced Whitman to just 4-20 from three.
The Wildcats aim to carry the momentum into a tough matchup with the conference-leading Whitworth Pirates tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. inside Ted Wilson Gymnasium.
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