Geoducks Can't Fend Off Linfield Rally
The Evergreen State College built a 24-point lead in the second quarter but was unable to fend off a furious second half comeback by visiting Linfield as the Wildcats took a 64-60 victory in a non-conference women's basketball game played Monday night in Costantino Recreation Center.
The Geoducks (3-11) played some of their best basketball of the season in taking a 20-4 lead after the first quarter. They had assists on five of their first seven baskets to race ahead, 15-2, less than five minutes into the game, forcing a Linfield timeout. Asiyah Davis then scored five straight points to make the score 20-2.
While the game's flow evened out in the second quarter - Evergreen scored 18 points to Linfield's 17 - it was in the third quarter that the Wildcats (6-5) turned the game's momentum. They whittled a 17-point halftime deficit to 10 entering the fourth period, and they outscored the Geoducks, 24-10, in the final 10 minutes.
After trailing throughout the game, Linfield took its first lead of the game at 59-58 on a pair of Molly Danielson free throws with 1:33 to play.
After an Evergreen turnover, Audrey McMillan hit a layup at the other end, and after a Geoduck offensive foul, a Dani Krier free throw with 23 seconds to play gave Linfield a 62-58 margin.
Evergreen got to within two points on a Zaria Jones layup with 16 seconds on the clock before Riley Graham again made it a four-point, two-possession game by hitting two charity tosses with 11.4 seconds to play.
Jones missed a three-pointer on the other end and Linfield ran out the clock to get the victory.
Gabi Fenumiai scored 15 points before fouling out late in the game to lead the Geoducks, who also got 10 points from Autumn Moorcroft, seven rebounds from Kylie Gorton, five assists from Jones and five steals from Corina Tacardon.
Evergreen shot 41 percent overall and enjoyed a 38-33 rebounding advantage.
Danielson led Linfield with 15 points, followed by Krier with 14 and Quincey Gibson with 11. Those three players shared top rebounding honors with five apiece, and four different Linfield players contributed four assists.
Evergreen returns to Cascade Collegiate Conference action at 5:30 p.m. Friday when it faces the Corban Warriors in Salem, Ore.