MCMINNVILLE, Ore. -- (From Linfield Sports Information Office) Sixth-ranked Whitworth equaled a school record with its 12th straight victory to open the season, handing Linfield a 77-64 Northwest Conference defeat Friday night at Ted Wilson Gym.

James Jones made 7/12 shots for 19 points

The Pirates moved to 3-0 in the NWC and the top spot in the league with defending champion Puget Sound.

Whitworth pulled away from an early 3-all tie and maintained control the entire game, building a 10-point advantage after just five minutes. Linfield was within six at 21-15 following a 3-pointer by Evan Timperly, but the Pirates kept the pedal on the gas, surging to a 14-point lead at the break. Whitworth shot .615 during the opening 20 minutes while Linfield was a frosty .300.

The lead grew to 21 just two minutes into the second half and remained at a double-digit advantage the rest of the way.

Whitworth came into the game leading NCAA Division III in field goal percentage at .541 and went on to improve that statistic with a .608 shooting night.

James Jones paved the way with 19 points for the Pirates on 7 of 12 shooting. Ryan Symes netted 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds and Kevin Hasenfus added 13 points. Bryan Williams spread around seven assists to go with nine points.

Linfield forward Sten Morgan came off the bench to bag a career-high 18 points, hitting 4 of 7 from the field and 10 of 14 at the free throw line. Morgan and Timperly shared top team rebounding honors with five boards each.

Whitworth will try to break the school record for season-opening winning streak on Saturday night at George Fox. The Bruins (6-5, 2-1) were a 77-63 winner over Whitman tonight.