Complete box score

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – For the second time this season Whitworth was outrebounded by an opponent, and for the second time this season the Pirates suffered a loss. Linfield beat Whitworth 88-79 in a Northwest Conference men’s basketball game on Saturday night at Ted Wilson Gym, handing the 15th-ranked Pirates their first NWC loss of the season.

Nate Montgomery

Whitworth fell to 11-2 overall and 3-1 in the NWC despite Nate Montgomery's (Jr., P, Sammamish, Wash.) double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds. Linfield improved to 4-8, 2-2.

Linfield dominated the first half, running off an 11-0 run to turn a 14-13 advantage into a 25-13 lead. They went up 38-22 on a three-pointer by Deonte Compton with 2:05 to play. But the Pirates managed to cut into the lead with seven straight points, including a three-pointer by Ross Nakamura (Sr., G, Moraga, Calif.), to trail 38-29 at halftime.

In the second half Linfield quickly extended the lead to double-digits once again and the Wildcats kept the lead in double-digits most of the rest of the game. After Compton hit a jumper to give Linfield a 53-38 lead, Whitworth cut the lead to nine when David Riley (So., G, Palo Alto, Calif.) hit back to back three-pointers. But every time Whitworth seemed poised to make a run, Linfield answered with a key basket. In this case K.C. Wiser hit his own three to push the Wildcat lead back to 12 points.

Tim Sellereit (Sr., G, Bellingham, Wash.) hit a jumper to get Whitworth within 58-48, but then Linfield went on a 10-2 run to open the largest lead of the game (68-50) with just over six minutes to play. While the Pirates did manage to cut the lead back under double-digits at the end, it wasn’t until the final result was out-of-reach.

Linfield was able to hold off the Pirates by posting a 33-27 rebounding edge. Whitworth, the NWC-leader in rebound margin, was also out-rebounded in its first loss of the season to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in December.

The Wildcats shot an efficient 47% in each half and made 10 of 22 three-point attempts to post the highest score Whitworth has allowed this season. Linfield also got to the free throw line a season-high 38 times, sinking 30 attempts.

Erik Olson led the Wildcats with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Wiser finished with 21 points and eight boards. Drew Schroeder and Kris Rainwater each added 12 points.

In addition to Montgomery's contribution, Nakamura added 13 points and five assists, while Riley and Sellereit each finished with 12 points for the Bucs.

Whitworth will have to rebound quickly. The Pirates will play 17-ranked Puget Sound in the Whitworth Fieldhouse on Friday at 8:00 p.m.