McMINNVILLE, Ore. --- Linfield men's basketball (9-14, 7-8 NWC) earned a much-needed season sweep of the Lewis & Clark River Otters (12-12, 8-7 NWC) on senior night, winning 58-53. The Wildcats postseason hopes remain alive, solidifying the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Otters.
 
Linfield honored the five members of the 2026 senior class prior to Friday evening's match up with the River Otters: Chase Bennet, Donovan Johnson, Bryton Lenahan, Dayton Magaña and Logan Morrill. 
 
Lewis & Clark scored on the first possession, quickly answered by Bryton Lenahan, sinking a hook shot down low to tie the game back up. Magaña also got his first basket of his final game inside Ted Wilson Gymnasium, draining a three to go up 5-2.
 
A scoring drought by both teams lasted over three minutes, until Garrett Callsen, Logan Morrill and Chase Bennett got on the board to extend the lead to seven with 13:53 left in the first half. It only continued as Bennett added three-straight buckets, capping off a 17-2 run.
 
The Otters were able to cut back into the Wildcat lead, with most of Linfield's production coming in the paint to maintain a single-digit lead. In the final 75-seconds, Bennett made a driving lay-in, followed by a Magaña triple and lastly a Callsen layup in the final seconds to take a 34-26 lead into the locker room.
 
Needing a win to keep their hopes alive for a postseason bid, Kohsuke Fujiwara opened the final half with a three-point play, executing the and-one drive to the hoop. Fujiwara then added a basket from beyond the arc, extending the lead back to double-digits.
 
A 8-0 run from the Otts drew the game closer with under ten minutes to play. The offensive spark from Lewis & Clark forced head coach Elijah Gurash to take a timeout with a 50-44 lead with 6:55 remaining in the game.
 
Fujiwara traded buckets with the Otters but a 7-0 run from Lewis & Clark made it 54-53 Linfield with 53 seconds left on the clock. As the shot clock drew down to the final seconds on Linfield's next possession, Magaña sank a crucial driving layup to make it a three-point lead. The Otts were unable to convert on a game-tying attempt to follow, leading to a foul of Fujiwara, sinking both free throws to go up 58-53 with the shot clock turned off. 
 
Linfield survived a pair of three-point attempts at the end of the game, earning a hard-fought 58-53 win. 
 
Callsen's 14 points led the 'Cats, adding a team-high nine rebounds alongside Fujiwara. Linfield's 12 offensive boards and nine second-chance points helped create the separation in the box score.
 
"That was an absolute battle." Said head coach Elijah Gurash following the win. 
 
"Both teams fought hard and traded punches all night. We're blessed to have come out on top."
 
The 'Cats need a win over the George Fox Bruins tomorrow beginning at 5 p.m., and a Willamette win over Lewis & Clark to earn a bid to the Northwest Conference men's basketball tournament.
 
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