SPOKANE, Wash. - Liz Horiatis scored the winning basket with 43 seconds to play in the second overtime and Alida Bower sank the clinching free throws with 15 seconds left to lift Whitworth University to a 76-73 double overtime victory over visiting Linfield College on Friday night at the Whitworth Fieldhouse in Northwest Conference women's basketball action.

Bower scored a game-high 22 points

Bower (Jr., F, Onalaska, Wash.) scored a game-high 22 points and added eight boards to lift the Pirates (10-8 overall, 5-4 NWC) to the victory. With the win the Bucs remain tied for third place in the NWC standings with Whitman and Lewis & Clark.

Natalie Orrell (So., F, Wenatchee, Wash.) drained a three-point shot as regulation expired to force overtime. She finished with 14 points, all after halftime. Cassie Snyder (Sr., G, Spokane, Wash.) added 10 points and six assists.

Linfield did not trail at any point in regulation or the first overtime. The Wildcats (9-9, 2-7) led by as many as 12 points in the first half when Jenni Carlos scored inside to give Linfield a 34-22 lead. Whitworth managed to pull within 34-26 at the break.

The second half saw the Wildcats turn away several Pirate rallies. Leah Pomante's (So., G, Colbert, Wash.) three-pointer tied the game at 48-48, but Courtney McFadden and Emily Shoemaker answered with baskets to put Linfield back up by four points. The Wildcats appeared to have the game in hand when Kate Stadeli made a pair of free throws with 1:10 to play to open a 59-54 Wildcat lead. But Orrell answered with a basket inside. A Linfield miss was followed by an exchange of turnovers with 10 seconds left. Orrell lofted a three-pointer that bounced out, but Molly Schlander (Jr., G, Scottsdale, Ariz.) rebounded and dished out to Orrell for another trey attempt that went down as the clock expired.

The Wildcats took a 66-63 lead in the first overtime after Lassiter converted a three-point play with 1:34 to go. But Whitworth rallied to tie the game 67-67 when Bower hit a pull up jumper with five seconds on the clock.

Linfield took a 71-67 lead to start the second extra period, but Snyder hit a three and Bower made a pair of free throws to give Whitworth its first lead (72-71) of the game. Lassiter made one free throw to tie the contest before Horiatis (Fr., P, Woodinville, Wash.) hit her basket from the left edge of the key with 43 seconds left. After a Linfield free throw, Bower scored the final points on a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left. McFadden's three-pointer at the buzzer was no good.

McFadden led Linfield with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Casey Stepan added 12 points, 11 of which came in the first half. Stadeli came off of the bench for 13 points.

Whitworth will host Willamette on Saturday, while Linfield travels to Whitman for a Saturday contest.