MCMINNVILLE, Ore.. - (From Linfield Sports Information Office) Whitworth overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to remain unbeaten in Northwest Conference play with a 50-45 victory over the Linfield Wildcats Friday night at Ted Wilson Gym.

Alida Bower scored 11 points for the Pirates

Alida Bower and Natalie Orrell scored 11 points each for the Pirates, who improved to 3-0 in the NWC, 9-3 overall and took over sole possession of first place in the NWC with Whitman's loss at George Fox.

Brihtanie Lassiter tallied 10 for Linfield, which dropped to 1-2 in the conference and 6-5 overall.

Courtney McFadden collared a game- and career-high 10 rebounds for the Wildcats, but Pirates held a slight edge on the backboards, 36-34. Twenty-one turnovers by Linfield, including five off the hands of Lassister, factored into the loss.

In a sloppy first half, Linfield pulled away from a 10-all tie to take a 21-14 advantage with 3 1/2 minutes left before intermission. But the Pirates assembled a furious rally, cutting the lead to on at 21-20 on Leah Pomante's 3-pointer. The Wildcats didn't flinch, upping their lead back up to five following a free throw by Courtney McFadden. A 3-point play by Mary Findlay with three seconds left put the hosts back in front by nine, 29-20. The two teams combined for 21 turnovers, including 11 by Linfield.

The Pirates went on a 9-2 run to open the second half, capped by Orrell's running jumper in the lane by perched Whitworth within two, 31-29 with five minutes gone.

Trailing 39-36, the Pirates used a 6-0 spurt to take their first lead since early in the game. A layin by Bower and back-to-back buckets from Tiffany Corigliano put the visitors up by three.

A short layup by Jamie Godfrey tied the game at 43 with 3:20 left, but a 3-pointer by Orrell on the ensuing possession put her team in command. Two free throws by Corigliano gave Whitworth a 48-43 lead with 1:20 left, but Linfield's Lassiter hit a runner to make it a one-possession game.

Stepan's potenial game-tying 3-pointer was blocked at the top of the circle by Teresa Zeitler, ending any hope of a Wildcats' comeback.

The Pirates will conclude the weekend trip to Oregon with a 4:00 pm game at George Fox on Saturday. The Bruins defeated Whitman 52-37 on Friday night.