FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 9^th, 2023
 
Portland, Ore. | The Warner Pacific Knights women's basketball squad lost a heartbreaker tonight to the hands of the Wildcats of Linfield University by a final score of 80-70 in double overtime at CC Perry Gymnasium on a crisp Portland night.
 
The game started very well for the Knights finishing the first quarter up 8 by a score of 21-13 behind an on fire McKeeley Tonkin who scored 10 in the frame. The second quarter was pretty slow going for both teams as there was just 16 combined points scored finishing the half with the Knights clinging to a 28-22 lead.
 
The second half saw some pretty low percentage shooting from both teams making the game come down to the wire late in the 4^th quarter. The game was tied at 50 with 12 seconds left and the Wildcats with the ball. Wildcats guard, Miki Vermeulen, nearly hit a buzzer beating shot at the buzzer that just hit the front iron sending the game to overtime.
 
The end of the first overtime was about as good as it gets. The Knights had the ball with a chance to win the game when Emily Brown who was the hero of last Tuesday's game, hit an and-one layup with 2 seconds left to break a 61-61 tie. After the foul, she calmly stepped to the line and with ice water in her veins, hit the free throw putting the Knights up by 3. After a timeout by the Wildcats, the unthinkable happened when Ella Koebelin took the inbounds pass and somehow found herself wide open for three which dropped the net with ease sending the game to its second overtime.
 
Unfortunately, the second overtime didn't go well for the Knights who only managed to muster up 6 points while the Wildcats scored 16 points giving them the much earned win.

"Linfield did a great job making things tough down the stretch," Head Coach Jimmy Smith said. "Unfortunately we were short on points but we will look to rebound next weekend."
 
The Knights had four players in double figures tonight and were led in scoring tonight by Emily Brown who had 15 points and 12 rebounds for her second double-double in a row. After a hot first quarter by McKeeley Tonkin, she cooled off but still managed 14 points on the night. Serena Sanchez had 13 and Teirra Hicks had 12. The Knights shot 24-60 for 40% from the field including 4-20 from three for 20%.
 
Next Up
The Knights will enjoy a week to practice and prepare for a huge last weekend before winter break. They will take on Eastern Oregon this Friday at 5:30pm and College of Idaho next Saturday at 3pm at CC Perry Gymnasium.