WALLA WALLA, Wash. --- Linfield men's basketball (7-12, 5-6 NWC) was unable to the get the offense going in the weekend finale, falling to the Whitman Blues (9-12, 4-8 NWC), 64-40.
 
Whitman scored the first basket of the game, as Garrett Callsen answered two possessions later to tie it up at 2-2. Both defense had strong performances for the evening, as neither team could build upon a steady run. The Blues grabbed a narrow lead behind a three and a lay-in, one they would build on for the remainder of the night.
 
After a nearly three-minute scoring drought, Whitman's lead began to grow, until Kohsuke Fujiwara made a three to end Linfield's own near five-minutes without a basket. From there, a 10-0 run put Whitman up comfortably at 25-9 with 6:07 left in the first half.
 
Garrett Callsen made the 'Cats final two buckets of the half, one of which coming from beyond the arc, but the offense was stagnant, trailing 30-16 at the half.
 
Callsen continued to work in the paint, while Chase Bennett got on the board with a pull up jumper. Dayton Magaña made his first three of the game with 13:44 remaining, cutting the deficit to just nine. Following a media timeout, Whitman stormed on an 11-0 run, erasing any ground Linfield had made up, and nearly all hopes for a comeback.
 
Answering every basket made by Linfield, Whitman held onto their lead, taking a 64-40 win over the 'Cats on Saturday. The two teams split the season series, where Magaña sank a last-second three to knock off the Blues earlier this season inside Ted Wilson Gymnasium.
 
Callsen paced the 'Cats with 14 points, while Vargas grabbed seven boards. Linfield shot 31% from the field and 21% from beyond the arc.
 
The Wildcats hit the road yet again on Tuesday, heading to Salem to face the Willamette Bearcats at 7:30 p.m.
 
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