Whitman leads the conference in shooting, making 49.1 percent from the field, but came out cold in the first half. Both teams struggled shooting the ball, but Linfield used a 6-0 run late in the half to take a 26-17 lead into the break. The Missionaries were seven of 28 from the floor while Linfield hit 12 of its 30 shots.
The Wildcats expanded their lead early in the second period, taking a 40-26 advantage on a jumper by John Broussard with 13:24 to play. Whitman cut the margin to nine four minutes later on a three-pointer by Greg Caldwell. The Wildcats responded with a 9-0 run over the next minute and a half, though, staking a 54-36 lead. Trailing 60-42 with 4:20 on the clock, the Missionaries made a late push, scoring fifteen of the next 17 points to pull within five. Sophomore Erik Kofler capped the run by hitting a trey with 52 seconds to play. Whitman was unable to complete the comeback, though, and fell 63-57.
"They did a nice job defending us tonight," Whitman coach Skip Molitor said. "We didn't respond well to their size and athleticism and got off to a slow start, but played better in the second half."
Caldwell led all scorers in the game, with 17, and finished with a team high six rebounds and four assists. Senior post player Casey Nelson had 11 points and four rebounds.
Joe Neill hit four of six shots and was a perfect six of six at the line to lead the Wildcats with 14 points. Casey Kushiyama dished out seven assists while turning the ball over just one time and scored five. Nick Fusare knocked down eight points, and finished with a team high eight rebounds.
Each team forced 22 turnovers, and the Missionaries outrebounded the Wildcats by one, 37-36.
The Missionaries host Pacific Saturday evening in Sherwood Center as they continue their conference schedule. The Wildcats will travel to Spokane for a matchup with Whitworth.
Linfield vs Whitman 1/23/04 8:00pm at Walla Walla, Wash. (Sherwood Center) At Walla Walla, Wash. (Sherwood Center) LINFIELD 63, WHITMAN 57 LINFIELD (9-4, 4-0) Neill, Joe 4-6 6-6 14; Fusare, Nick 3-6 2-3 8; Broussard, John 3-8 0-2 8; Lewis, Chris 3-8 0-0 7; Middlesworth, T.J. 3-4 0-0 6; McConn, Pat 2-6 1-2 6; Kushiyama, Casey 2-4 0-2 5; Kreiger, Sam 2-6 0-0 4; Gulley, O.J. 1-5 0-0 3; Shelton, Blake 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 24-56 9-15 63. WHITMAN (6-8, 2-3) Caldwell, Greg 6-18 2-2 17; Nelson, Casey 5-10 1-3 11; Pounds, Jacob 3-6 0-0 7; Airy, Matt 2-4 0-0 6; Ricker, Greg 3-9 0-0 6; Will, Cale 2-6 0-0 5; Kofler, Erik 1-4 0-0 3; Dalvit, Kyle 1-3 0-0 2; Parker, Nick 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-61 3-6 57. Linfield...................... 26 37 - 63 Whitman....................... 17 40 - 57 3-point goals-Linfield 6-21 (Broussard, John 2-5; Gulley, O.J. 1-4; Kushiyama, Casey 1-1; McConn, Pat 1-4; Lewis, Chris 1-5; Shelton, Blake 0-1; Neill, Joe 0-1), Whitman 8-29 (Caldwell, Greg 3-13; Airy, Matt 2-4; Pounds, Jacob 1-3; Will, Cale 1-4; Kofler, Erik 1-3; Parker, Nick 0-1; Nelson, Casey 0-1). Fouled out--Linfield-None, Whitman-None. Rebounds-Linfield 36 (Fusare, Nick 8), Whitman 37 (Caldwell, Greg 6). Assists-Linfield 14 (Kushiyama, Casey 7), Whitman 10 (Caldwell, Greg 4). Total fouls-Linfield 13, Whitman 20.