Press Release
11/28 - LINFIELD 55, GEORGE FOX 51, OT: Wildcats Persevere over Bruins in Conference Opener
NEWBERG, Ore. - After battling back from an 11-point deficit to send the game into overtime and scoring the first seven points of the extra period, the George Fox University Bruins went scoreless over the final two-and-a-halftime minutes while the Linfield College Wildcats scored 11 unanswered points for a 55-51 win in the Northwest Conference women's basketball opener Tuesday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.
Baskets by Katy Campbell and Robin Taylor gave George Fox an early 4-0 lead before Linfield began to find the range. Hitting 50% from the field in the first half (12-24), the Wildcats took a 32-26 lead into the break behind seven points from Jamie Godfrey. Campbell kept the Bruins close with 10 points in the half.
Both teams then went ice-cold in the second half, the Bruins making only 23.8% (5-21) and the Wildcats struggling even more at a meager 7.7% (2-26). Turnovers (the Bruins made 27 in the game, the Wildcats 24) kept either team from pulling away, though Linfield did take an 11-point lead at 41-30 with 6:33 left in the half on a pair of free throws by Casey Stepan.
With Robin Taylor scoring five points and the Bruins forcing four Wildcat turnovers, the home team went on a 10-0 run to climb within a point at 41-40 with 1:18 left. Cassey Saunders nailed a three-pointer with 53 second to go for a 44-40 Linfield lead, but a layup by Melissa Marek-Farris with 35 seconds left and a pair of Taylor free throws with seven seconds to go sent the contest into overtime.
A three by Campbell and a pair of free throws by both Taylor and Marek-Farris gave the Bruins a 51-44 lead midway through the overtime, but it was the last they would score. Porcia Jackson hit two free throws and a traditional three-point play for the Wildcats before a rebound basket by Kate Stadeli tied it with 41 seconds left. Stadeli rebounded a miss by Campbell before Saunders was fouled and made two go-ahead free throws with 13 seconds left. Stepan iced the Linfield comeback with two freebies with two seconds to go after a Bruin turnover.
Campbell led all scorers with 17 points for the Bruins and Taylor finished with 11. Campbell also had a game-high nine rebounds. The Bruins shot 30.2% (13-43) from the field and 8.3% from three-point range (1-12), but did well from the line at 72.7% (24-33).
Jackson was the only Wildcat in double figures with 11 points, and she and Sara Burgoyne had seven rebounds each as the visitors controlled the boards 43-38. Linfield hit 27.6% from the floor (16-58) and 15.0% on threes (3-20), but sizzled from the stripe at 87.0% (20-23).
The win snapped a five-game George Fox winning streak in the series and was Linfield's first win in Newberg since the 1997-98 season, ending a string of nine Bruin wins at home over the Wildcats.
George Fox (3-1, NWC 0-1) travels to Tacoma, Wash., Saturday to take on the University of Puget Sound. Linfield (2-1, NWC 1-0) goes to Tacoma Friday, visiting pre-season league favorite Pacific Lutheran University. Both games tip off at 6 p.m., followed by men's conference games at 8 p.m.