Women’s Basketball Knocks Off Linfield In OT Thriller

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Whitman College women’s basketball team dug deep and delivered an overtime thriller Saturday night, sending the Sherwood Center crowd home happy with a 58-53 win over previously unbeaten Linfield in Northwest Conference play. The victory handed the Wildcats their first conference loss of the season and pulled the Blues within a single game of Linfield in the standings, tightening an already crowded title race.​

Holly Morgan led a balanced Whitman attack with 12 points and six rebounds, while Kaella Peters scored nine points, hitting three triples and converting a key three-point play in the fourth quarter. Emma Lena Baker chipped in eight points and four rebounds off the bench, and Morgan Montgomery added seven points, including the overtime dagger and several timely drives into the lane. Briana Andrade was quietly efficient with six points and five boards, and Jordan Leith stuffed the stat sheet with six points, three assists, three steals and a game-high four blocks while logging 36 minutes in the backcourt.​

Whitman, now 15-6 overall and 10-2 in NWC play, had to rally late in regulation after Linfield built a seven-point lead midway through the third quarter and carried a slim 36-34 edge into the fourth. The Blues responded with their best scoring stretch of the night, putting together a 10-point surge early in the final period to seize a six-point advantage at 46-40 and flip the momentum. Linfield refused to go away, clawing back behind the play of Eve Burke and a parade to the foul line, eventually knotting the game at 48-48 on Burke’s transition layup with 1:10 remaining to force overtime.​

In the extra period, Whitman’s poise and balance proved decisive. Montgomery finally broke the deadlock with a step‑back three from the right wing, pushing Whitman ahead 51-48 and igniting the home bench. Andrade added two clutch free throws, then Morgan calmly sank two more at the stripe after an offensive rebound to stretch the lead to 55-50 as the clock ticked under 90 seconds. Linfield trimmed the deficit at the line, but Jordan Leith and Emma Lena Baker combined to go 5-of-6 on free throws in the closing minute, sealing the win as Whitman’s defense forced contested threes and secured the final rebounds.​

Linfield, which entered at 17-2 overall and 10-0 in the NWC, leaned heavily on its free-throw shooting to stay in it, finishing 24-of-28 at the line to offset a 13-for-55 night from the field. Burke poured in a game-high 14 points and went a perfect 8-for-8 at the stripe, while Skylar Willey battled to an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double before fouling out in overtime. 

Statistically, Whitman shot 38.2 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, while holding Linfield to 23.6 percent overall and just 3-of-20 from three. The Blues also converted 22 Linfield turnovers into nine more points than the Wildcats managed off Whitman miscues and outscored the visitors 26-20 in the paint.

The Blues tip off their final two weekends of play this coming Friday, Feb. 13 at home against George Fox. Start time is set for 5:30 p.m. 

#GoWhitman

Read Full Article