Wildcats' comeback trail falls short

November 24, 2008

McMINNVILLE, Ore. - Dylan Perry’s layup with four seconds left propelled Northwest Christian to a thrilling 72-70 nonconference win over Linfield Monday night at Ted Wilson Gymnasium. The win halted an 11-game home winning streak that spanned all of the 2007-08 season.

After Linfield battled back from a 16-point deficit, Perry broke Linfield in the final play and a desparation halfcourt heave by Jon Weber (Sr., Redmond, Wash.) fell short.

Linfield starts its season 0-1 while Northwest Christian improved to 5-2.

In the first half, Linfield's Erik Olson was the story.

The 6-4 wingman drilled home five 3-pointers in the opening period to keep the hosts close. The Wildcats trailed 32-31 at the break.

Olson got Linfield going in the early moments of the ballgame, stroking two 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the first half. The Wildcats led 13-12 at the 15 minute mark.

Both teams cooled down significantly over the next seven minutes before Jordan Whittenburg’s 3-pointer with eight minutes to play gave the Beacons a 23-21 advantage. Northwest Christian took the lead due Linfield’s inability to convert on the offensive end.

After K.C. Wiser (Jr., Tigard, Ore.) hit a jumper with 8:46 to go, the Wildcats would not score again until Jeff Stoefen scored on a layup to cut Linfield’s deficit to 26-23 at the 3:53 mark of the first half. Fortunately for the Wildcats, Whittenburg’s score was the only basket for the Beacons during that stretch.

Linfield got back on track during the final ticks of the half, when Olson hit a 3-pointer with 3:15 to play. With 55 seconds left in the frame, Weber provided a spark by forcing a 10-second violation. The very next possession he found Olsen in the corner for his fifth 3-point make of the half.

During the first-half Linfield shot 42.9 percent while Northwest Christian knocked down 52.2 percent of its attempts from the field.

Northwest Christian answered the bell to start the second-half, dominating the first 10 minutes. The Beacons rallied off a 9-2 run to start the half and built their lead to as many as 16, leading 60-44. On the defensive end, Northwest Christian held Linfield at bay with an active zone defense.

With the ‘Cats struggling to get anything going, the switch suddenly flipped on and Linfield’s defensive intensity picked up. Drew Schroeder (Sr., Phoenix, Ariz.) stepped in for a charge which led to a 3-pointer by Travis Kinane (Soph., Beaverton, Ore.), cutting the Beacons’ lead to 60-50.

With NCU focusing its attention on Olson and Wiser, it was Weber who found holes in the zone. The senior point guard delivered two crucial 3-pointers down the stretch, the second of which cut Northwest Christian’s lead to 68-64 with 1:52 remaining.

After a bucket off a missed free throw by McCollum, Miller scored for Northwest Christian to give his team a 70-67 advantage. Immediately following Miller’s make, Weber fired home the tying score with 38 seconds remaining.

After a Beacons' timeout, Perry found a way to nestle home the final score with one second left to play.

Olson led the Wildcats with a game-high 22 points while Wiser chipped in 13.

Whittenburg was tough the entire second-half, scoring a team-high 20 points in the win.

UP NEXT: Linfield resumes play Tuesday night with its second NAIA opponent in two evenings. The Wildcats square off with Concordia of Portland. Tipoff is set for 7:30 at Ted Wilson Gymnasium.

Erik Olson
Game-high 22 points