1/17 - LINFIELD 92, GEORGE FOX 69: Wildcats Use 14-0 Start to Overpower Bruins for Second Time
McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Scoring 14 unanswered points in the game's first three minutes, the Linfield College Wildcats took early control and went on to a 92-69 win over their Yamhill County rivals, the George Fox University Bruins, in a Northwest Conference men's basketball game Saturday night here at Ted Wilson Gym.
After Linfield's initial outburst, the Bruins finally got on the scoreboard with three quick 3-point baskets by Bryan Wadlow, Aaron Schmick, and Mark Gayman to cut the deficit to 16-9. The Bruins twice got within 6 and had the ball with chances to cut it even more, but the Wildcats reasserted themselves late in the half and led by 10 at the break 45-35.
The second half belonged totally to Linfield as the Wildcats led by double digits the rest of the way. The largest gap was 28 at 81-53 with 7 minutes left. It was the second easy win by the Wildcats over the Bruins this season, the first a 105-72 win on Dec. 30 in the Cactus Jam Tournament in Phoenix, Ariz. The teams will meet a third time on Feb. 10 in Newberg for a second conference game.
Gayman led all scorers with 16 points, Schmick added 14, and Wadlow and Scott Szalay had 10 each. Szalay made it a double-double game with a game-high 10 rebounds, but the Bruins were out-boarded in a conference game for the first time this season, 50-37. Schmick had 6 assists, and Brett Yeager picked up a game-high 4 steals.
The Wildcats had six players in double figures in points: Chris Lewis and T.J. Middlesworth with 15 each, Nick Fusare and Blake Shelton with 12 apiece, and Sam Kreiger and John Broussard with 10 each. Broussard led Linfield with 9 rebounds, while Joe Neill passed out 7 assists.
The Bruins fell to 3-10 overall and 0-5 in the conference with their 7th loss in a row, while the Wildcats climbed to 8-4 and 3-0 in the league with their 8th straight win over the Bruins. It was only the 2nd time in the last 12 meetings that one of the two did not score 100 or more points.
George Fox returns home to play Willamette University Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 8:00 p.m., following a women's game at 6:00 p.m. Linfield visits Whitman College on Friday, Jan. 23.