SALEM, Ore. --- Linfield women's basketball (18-3, 11-1 NWC) got back into the win column with a comfortable 68-44 win over the Willamette Bearcats (9-14, 6-8 NWC) in the mid-week match up.
Linfield led from start to finish, taking an early 5-0 lead as
Allie Mead sank a jumper and
Miki Vermeulen drained a three. Willamette scored a pull-up jumper with 7:18 left in the first quarter, their only points for the entire quarter; the fewest points the 'Cats defense has allowed in any quarter this season.
On the other end, the offense exploded. Seven-different Wildcats scored a bucket in the opening quarter, with Vermeulen,
Amelia Solt and
Tana Hoekema each draining a three to put Linfield up 21-2 after the first quarter.
Willamette's seven-minute scoring drought came to a close early in the second quarter, scoring the first two buckets of the quarter. The Bearcats never clawed back to a single-digit deficit either, with
Jayden Ray and
Skylar Willey keeping Linfield well ahead of Willamette. Solt and
Eve Burke sank two threes down the stretch, while Ray snuck in a last-second layup, giving Linfield a 37-20 lead at the half.
The offense from the first quarter returned in the third, where Willey got to work in the paint and Vermeulen continued her strong shooting from beyond the arc. Linfield outscored the Bearcats 22-10 in the third quarter, led mostly by
Tana Hoekema scoring in the paint.
With a 30-point lead early in the final quarter, the 'Cats slowed the pace, going nearly six minutes without a field goal, but made good use of their free throw attempts.
Logan Roberts and
Sydney Newby ended the game with a 7-0 Linfield run, sealing a comfortable 68-44 win on the road.
Hoekema scored a team-high 13 points off the bench for the Wildcats, shooting 5-11 from the field, while adding a team-high eight rebounds. 17-different 'Cats saw minutes on the floor with 10 recording points. Forcing 16 turnovers, Linfield earned 19 points off turnovers, and 36 points inside the paint, leading for the entire game.
The Wildcats continue the second half of the NWC slate with two more games this weekend at home, serving as host to the Pacific Lutheran Lutes and Puget Sound Loggers on Friday and Saturday.
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