The Pirate women defeated Linfield 65-56 at Linfield College on Saturday. This win gave the women a 14-11 overall record and 10-6 in Northwest Conference and they have clinched the third seed in the upcoming NWC tournament.
The game proved to be a battle for the Pirates and at halftime the women held on by three points.
Early in the game the Pirates took advantage of senior guard Cassie Pilkinton’s three point success, and it paid dividends with an early 12-5 lead. But the Wildcats turned it around and, with five minutes left in the first half, were leading 21-19.
But Linfield couldn’t maintain their offensive momentum and went nearly three minutes without a basket. The Pirates took advantage and, rolling off a 9-0 run, took a 28-21 lead. They managed to hold on just long enough to leave the half on top.
Soon after the start of the second half, the Pirate offense found their rhythm and extended the lead to 49-38. A 16 and seven run for the Pirates culminated with a basket from freshman Katie Delany with 7:53 remaining in the second half.
The Wildcats didn’t give up, and during a minor scare late in the second half, seniors Leah Pomante and Pilkinton took charge. Between the two of them, they managed to score Whitworth’s next 12 points.
The Pirates lead 60-52 with 1:53 left on the clock. Pilkinton buried a deep three-pointer to seal the deal. Pilkinton finished with 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
The Pirates held their lead through the final two minutes to defeat the Wildcats 65-56. Pomante finished with a team-high of 20 points.
The Whitworth win at Linfield, combined with Lewis & Clark’s loss at the University of Puget Sound, moved the Pirates into a third-place Northwest Conference tie with Lewis & Clark.
Because the Pirates swept fifth-place Whitman, they have the tiebreaker advantage over Lewis & Clark and thus will play second-place Puget Sound on Thursday, Feb. 25, in the NWC semi-finals.
Contact Kara Heatherly at kara.heatherly@whitworthian.com.
Bucs seeded 3rd in NWC tourney
Published: Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, February 23, 2010
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