Wildcat Roundup: Mens and womens basketball suffer losses; mens wrestling introduces new faces to mat at Clackamas Open
“They put us in situations that made us uncomfortable, and we had to go to our second and third options,” Wildcats Head Coach Casey Bunn said. “Their physicality was exponentially more so than other teams that we’ve played, and all around they were very athletic and super talented, so it was just exciting to play in that game even though we didn’t shoot as well as I would have liked.”
UWO is also No. 1 in DIII womens basketball in turnovers per game (9.7), and the stats bared out on Friday as UWO recorded 12 steals to Linfield’s three and scored 15 points off turnovers compared to the ’Cats nine. UWO forced 19 turnovers to Linfield’s 12.
The game was a defensive showcase, with UWC leading 10-8 after the first quarter. Linfield scored just one basket in the second quarter, a layup by sophomore center Tana Hoekema, who received the ball off an assist from junior guard Allie Mead to end an 8-0 UWO run.
Senior guard Miki Vermeulen ended the scoring drought on Linfield’s first possession of the second half, sinking a 3-pointer to chip into the deficit. Both offenses woke up, trading buckets over the next five possessions, but an 8-0 run over 90 seconds put OWO up 36-19 halfway through the quarter. Senior guard Amelia Solt and freshman guard Lauren Buchanan stopped the bleeding with a pair of threes, while Vermeulen and Allie Mead combined for a 5-0 run to close the quarter and match UWO’s 20-point period.
Vermeulen, Burke and Smolt led the Wildcats with six points each, while Mead and Hoekema scored four points.
The ’Cats shot 23% from the field, scoring two points again in the fourth quarter, as UWO shot 47%. They also outrebounded Linfield 40-32.
Academically, the ’Cats are also pushing through finals weeks. “They’re burning at both ends,” Bunn said, complementing her team for the effort and urge to keep improving after a difficult game.
“We were getting good looks, but it was just fun to be at home with a good crowd,” Bunn said. “We now know what it looks like and feels like to play against a top-five team. We learned how to push through adversity and what we need to keep working on, so they’re working hard to get better.”
Linfield looks to rebound at home on Friday with a 7 p.m. tipoff against NAIA Simpson (Calif.). The ‘Cats then travel to Salem on Saturday for a 3 p.m. tipoff with NAIA Corban.
Mens Basketball
Linfield’s mens basketball team (1-6, 0-1) is learning how to win games but could not overcome a 38-23 halftime deficit at Pacific University, dropping their first Northwest Conference league game 75-50.
“We’re struggling to find consistency,” first-year Head Coach Elijah Gurash said. “There’s been a couple of games we could’ve won if we found a way to get a couple of stops or a couple fewer turnovers or make a couple more free throws down the stretch. Those are some heartbreaking ones. The trick is to not get disheartened with the struggle, but learn from it and bounce back stronger.”
Offensively against Pacific, the Wildcats had similar struggles as the womens team. As a team, the ’Cats shot 28% from the field, while Pacific shot 48%. Lost possessions also hindered Linfield as 21 turnovers led to 26 points for Pacific.
Linfield’s bright spot was senior forward Logan Morrill, who went 6-for-6 from the field, leading the team with 13 points.
Senior guard Chase Bennett had the next best night with 12 points and six rebounds. Freshman guard Nalu Vargas also helped Linfield stay afloat with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Along with Morril and Bennett, fellow seniors Dayton Magaña and Donovan Johnson have been key this season to building a culture of winning that Gurash hopes to establish for the program. The consensus opinion from Gurash is that they have been great leaders while receiving bulk minutes on the court, communicating positively with passion.
“They’re giving a lot of themselves, so it’s disappointing we haven’t seen much result in the win column,” Gurash said. “They have shown very good leadership, buy-in and care. Sometimes, with inexperience, you just have to learn lessons the hard way. They are giving a lot of effort, but it’ll pay off in the long run.”
Linfield is learning in the fire. Its seniors are committing to playing with all their hearts, but with a roster boasting 11 underclassmen, the ’Cats have no choice to keep playing hard and hope it pays off for those studying under the tutelage of Gurash and the team’s senior core.
The Wildcats return to Ted Wilson Gymnasium on Friday for a 5 p.m. start against DIII Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Alma College. It will be Linfield’s second home game of the season before travelling to face DII Western Oregon University on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Monmouth.
Wrestling
Linfield mens wrestling had two Wildcats place at the Clackamas Open at Clackamas Community College, while several also saw their first action of the season on Sunday.
Freshman Dean Smith was one of two to make the podium at the tournament. At133 pounds, Smith earned a bye into the second round and won his first match, pinning his opponent just 64 seconds into the match. That advanced Smith to the semifinals, where he was pinned late. Smith’s day ended after coming up short in two consolation matches, earning him a sixth-place finish.
At 141 pounds, junior McMinnville product Max Vander Meide was pinned in the first round of his two matches. He lasted slightly longer in his second bout but fell after 2 minutes and 44 seconds. Fellow Mac alumni, senior Lucien Lefebvre, was the lone ’Cat to compete at 165 pounds, going 1-2 on the day with a quick pin in his second match.
Freshman Damon Gasilos was pinned late in his first match but bounced back with two pins of his own in the 157-pound consolation bracket. The first-year Wildcat’s day ended via pin in the first period of his final match against his opponent from Southwestern Oregon.
Dual-sport athlete Trey Dieringer (also a football linebacker) competed at 184 pounds, where he wrestled in six total matches in the tournament — the most of any Linfield athlete. Dieringer narrowly dropped his first match via decision, but he battled back. The junior won three straight matches via technical fall or pin, lifting him to the fifth-place match, where he won in a high-scoring 16-13 decision. Dieringer was the Wildcat’s second podium placer.
Ethan Ensrud also competed at 184 pounds, down a class from his win at the Spokane Open on Nov. 23. Ensrud went 1-2 on Sunday, earning a pin at the end of the first period of his second match. Trevor Jackson fell in his two matches in the 197-pound class, one via technical fall and the final via a pin.
Two ’Cats were in the heavyweight class, senior Julian Ortiz and freshman dual-sport athlete Camden Roofener.
Ortiz (2-2) battled back to win a close 4-3 decision in his first match before being pinned in the following bout. He quickly pinned his opponent just 23 seconds into his third match, before falling midway through the first in his fourth and final match of the day.
Roofener, a defensive end in football, saw his first action of the season. Although falling by a major decision in his debut, he quickly got to work with a late pin to get his first win of the season. The freshman’s tournament closed with a 13-7 decision, falling to his opponent from Southern Oregon.
Linfield’s mens wrestling teams will next see the mat on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at the Desert Duals in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Article written with the assistance of Chase Fisk and Linfield Sports Communication.
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