Whitworth steps up on defense to beat Linfield 66-62, remain unbeaten in NWC play

From staff reports

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Whitworth gave Linfield one chance to take the lead late in the second half but would not afford the Wildcats another.

The Pirates held Linfield without a field goal for more than 3 minutes during a critical stretch and Whitworth captured a 66-62 win in a Northwest Conference men’s basketball game .

Whitworth stayed undefeated in NWC play through six games and improved to 10-5 overall. Linfield slipped to 5-10 and 0-6.

The Wildcats trailed 61-59 when Jackson Dupree missed a 3-pointer with 1:42 remaining in the contest. Whitworth’s Ben Nyquiest responded with a layup to stretch the Pirates’ lead to four.

Sullivan Menard drilled a 3-pointer on Whitworth’s next possession for a 64-57 margin, and Linfield didn’t score again from the field until Chase Bennett’s layin with 3 seconds left.

Menard finished with 15 points and Jojo Anderson had 14 for the Pirates, who hold a two-game lead over George Fox, Whitman and Puget Sound in the NWC standings.

Bennett led Linfield with 14 points and six rebounds, Dupree added 13 points, and Nick Tripaldi scored 10 points.

The Pirates return home to play Puget Sound on Friday at the Whitworth Fieldhouse, followed by a home matchup against Pacific Lutheran on Saturday.

Women’s basketball

Whitworth 61, Linfield 57: Kimberly Dewey scored 21 points, including a three-point play with 7 seconds left that sealed the Pirates’ conference win over the Wildcats.

Zalissa Sanfo added 11 points for Whitworth (5-10, 2-4). Dewey also had five rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Linfield (8-7, 3-3) pulled within 58-57 with Eve Burke’s two free throws with 36 seconds left in the final quarter.

Dewey followed a missed shot on the other end with a putback, and she was fouled on the play. Her ensuing free throw stretched the margin to four.

Burke and Ella Koebelin paced the Wildcats with 17 and 16 points, respectively.