Press Release
1/23 - LINFIELD 51, GEORGE FOX 50: Wildcats Knock Bruins Out of Share of League Lead
McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Porcia Jackson sank both ends of a one-and-one with 21.7 seconds left, giving the Linfield College Wildcats a 51-50 victory and a season sweep of the George Fox University Bruins in a Northwest Conference women's basketball game that knocked the Bruins out of a first-place tie Tuesday night here at Ted Wilson Gym.
Suffering the second gut-wrenching loss of the season to their Yamhill County rivals (Linfield had taken a 55-51 overtime win in Newberg on Nov. 28), the Bruins fell to 11-5 overall and 7-2 in the conference as their seven-game winning streak came to an end. The Bruins now trail idle University of Puget Sound, 7-1 in the league, by half a game. The Wildcats improved to 9-8 overall and 4-5 in the NWC.
Sara Burgoyne hit a three-pointer for an early 3-0 Linfield lead before the Bruins, with six different players scoring, went on a 14-2 run to go up 14-5 with 13:16 left in the period. The Bruins held 10-point leads three times, the last at 21-11 with 9:39 left on a power move by Elise Kuenzi. After taking a 25-17 lead with four minutes left, however, the Bruins went scoreless the rest of the way, enabling the Wildcats to close within 25-22 at the break on a steal and layup by Burgoyne and a banked three by Casey Stepan.
George Fox upped its lead back to eight points on a short jumper by Robin Taylor to make it 33-25 with 16:32 left in the game, but Linfield used a 7-0 run to gain a 35-35 tie with 12:18 left on a basket by Jamie Godfrey. The game remained tight the rest of the way, with three ties, five lead changes, and no more than a four-point lead either way.
Melissa Marek-Farris sank two free throws with three minutes left for the Bruins' last lead of 50-49, but Jackson gave the Wildcats the lead back with her two freebies with 21.7 seconds left after a costly Bruin turnover with 40 seconds to go. Katy Campbell's short jumper in the lane for the tie with 4.5 seconds left was off and was rebounded by Linfield's Kate Stadeli, who was fouled and went to the line for a one-and-one with 0.7 showing on the clock. She missed the basket completely on the first try, giving the Bruins one desperation shot, but Taylor's heave from half-court bounced twice on the rim before falling off as time expired.
Marek-Farris led the Bruins with 13 points, seven rebounds, and four blocked shots, while Taylor added 10 points. The Bruins had a tough shooting night, making only .298 (14-47) from the field, including a meager .238 (5-21) in the second half. A big advantage from the line (George Fox made 19-26 to only 5-10 for Linfield) kept the Bruins in the game.
Brihtani Lassiter led Linfield with 11 points and Burgoyne finished with 10. Stadeli grabbed eight rebounds, pacing the Wildcats to a 39-32 edge on the glass. The Wildcats shot .377 (20-53) from the field for the game.
George Fox, with a four-game NWC road stretch over, returns home Saturday to host Puget Sound at 6 p.m. in a showdown for at least a share of the conference lead. Puget Sound visits Willamette University Friday before meeting the Bruins. Linfield hosts Pacific Lutheran University Friday at 6 p.m. Both games will be followed by men's NWC games at 8 p.m.