EUGENE, Ore. –Northwest Christian won its second straight contest Saturday night, taking a nail-biting 52-51 win over the Linfield Wildcats.

The Wildcats jumped to a 31-24 advantage at the intermission, outshooting the hosts 50 to 32 percent from the field. Linfield led by as many as 13 in the period.

The Beacons quickly turned things around coming out of the break, at one point using a 16-3 lead to take a 44-38 at lead with 9:27 to play, after a pair of free-throws by Kelsey Atkins.

Over the next five minutes, the Beacons were held without a field goal as Linfield rallied to tie the game at 46 with 5:11 remaining. The teams traded baskets and remained tied, 50-50 until a 1-for-2 effort at the charity stripe for Sarah Amina gave Linfield a one-point lead.

Northwest Christian responded on their next possession as Lori Renner was fouled and hit both of her free-throws, giving NCU the lead for good, 52-50 with 1:23 to play. Over the final minute, the Wildcats had multiple chances to grab a lead, but couldn’t capitalize on a pair of NCU turnovers and two missed free throws with six seconds to play.

The Beacons (7-3) are now just one win away from matching their 2008-09 season win total. Renner and Katie Collins had 12 points apiece for the Beacons and were the only two to score more than five in the game. Aly Bruns added four assists and Jacki Cunningham came off the bench to secure two big blocks in the second half.

Linfield (2-4) was led by a game-high 17 points and five blocked shots from Lindsey Gummersall (Soph., Seattle, Wash.). Nadra Evans (Sr., Astoria, Ore.) added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Gretchen Owens (Soph., Glendale, Ore.) had seven points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in a losing effort.

COMING UP: The Wildcats return home for a pair of contests. Friday night, Linfield hosts Evergreen State at 6 p.m., then welcomes Warner Pacific to Ted Wilson Gym Saturday for a 7 p.m. tilt.