Linfield Linf 10-15,6-10 NWC

Whitman Whitm 19-5,14-2 NWC

Linfield Linf

10-15,6-10 NWC

Final

Feb. 18, 2023

Whitman Whitm

19-5,14-2 NWC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Linfield Linf	12	18	5	6	41
Whitman Whitm	21	13	9	13	56

Summary
Box Score

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 2/18/2023 7:28:00 PM

Senior Night, Net Cutting Highlight Women's Basketball's Win Over Linfield

WALLA WALLA, Wash. - There was no let down by the Blues in the final game of the season. The Whitman College women's basketball team ran past Linfield 56-41 on Saturday afternoon at the Sherwood Center, thus capturing its fourth consecutive Northwest Conference regular season title and, with it, the top seed and host of next weekend's NWC Tournament.

Elena McHargue delivered a monster game on Senior Night, turning in a career-high 26 points to lead all scorers. She, along with Sydney Abbott were honored in a pregame Senior Night ceremony celebrating their contributions to Whitman basketball.

No Wildcat (10-15, 6-10 NWC) shooter scored in double figures with Ella Koebelin scoring a team-high nine points and grabbing six rebounds, also a team-high. Linfield was able to stay in the game with a hot three-point shooting first half (6-9), but Whitman's post game proved to be too much. Korin Baker scored 12 points and corralled six boards with Natalie Lundberg recording seven steals.

The opening quarter had the looks of a barnburner but the Blues (19-5, 14-2 NWC) eventually locked down defensively. McHargue got her first two shots to go, but Linfield was hot from three as Gillyan Landis and Koebelin both hit three pointers to put the Wildcats up early. The Blues trailed by one point approaching the midway point of the period, but Carly Martin hit from three to ignite a 13-3 quarter-closing run.

The Wildcats made a game of it in the second quarter. Eve Bruke hit a pair of baskets as part of an 11-3 Linfield run that cut the lead to only three points approaching the midpoint of the quarter. Martin halted the momentum temporarily, but Koebelin counted with a three pointer, one of her team's six in the half. The Wildcats eventually tied the game at 30-30 but baskets by Lindsey Drango and McHargue gave the Blues the lead at halftime.

The teams treated the fans to very little offense in the third quarter, but the Blues still increased their lead and ran away with the game in the fourth quarter. The final 10 minutes were the Elena McHargue show. She hit three straight shots and connected on a pair of free throws for a personal 8-0 run to give Whitman a 51-35 lead with 7:15 to play. McHargue then iced the game with one minute to play, scoring on the break after a Lundberg steal to complete the scoring.

Announced by the league after the game, the Blues open the Northwest Conference Tournament on Friday, Feb. 24 against fourth-seed Willamette. Tipoff at the Sherwood Center is set for 1:00 p.m. Ticket and other pertinent tournament information will be forthcoming.

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